Zexion x Reader: Tomes of Emotion
by TenebrisMelodiam
Summary: Organization Thirteen has always been just that - Thirteen. However, after the original six founding members came to be, the tale of the original seventh member is often long forgotten. (Cover Art credit to MathiaArkoniel on Deviantart).
1. Existence

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

* Audience, has the thought ever crossed your mind of what being emotionless would feel like? Contrary to popular belief, there is hardly anyone on the planet that is emotionless- that is, unable to feel happiness, sadness, or even anger. Many-a-person claim that they are without emotion, simply because they feel nothing but sadness, depression, or grief. How, then, can they rightly claim to be without feeling?

You see, when a person is truly without emotion, they feel devoid of everything known to the scientific world. Think of it as though they walk in a constant state of limbo- they cannot find it within themselves to cry any longer, or become irritated or agitated. They cannot feel anything other than physical pain at this point, and even then, it's a guess as to whether or not they feel that form of pain, too. There are many reasons that one can enter this never-ending limbo, but again, becoming _truly_ emotionless is something that is extremely rare, but is something that you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy.

You cannot laugh from joy, and you cannot cry from sadness. You cannot shout in anger, and you cannot cower in fear. Disgust, anxiety, depression, surprise, anticipation, trust- these are all things that have been ripped from their very beings and tossed aside like nothing more than mere garbage. You sit each and every day with nothing more than the thoughts in your mind, and the noisy world around you… each begging that something be done about this hellish limbo you've entered. You become nothing more than a husk of a being, a mere shell of what used to be- in other terms, you become a zombie.

Some might be wondering why this person doesn't just end it all, especially if they're devoid of all emotions and living day to day like some form of mindless robot. Well, my dear audience, there is yet another hellish curse that comes with this state of limbo, and that is the force that rids your body and soul of all motivation. You wish to sit and do nothing about anything, because how could anything change even if something was done about it?

That was a bit of a confusing sentence, wasn't it?

It was intended to be.

This pit of darkness is, without any form of sarcasm, worse than the seventh level of hell. You cannot reach out to anyone about it, because they believe you to be doing nothing more than seeking attention. They believe you to be annoying, or that you are overthinking things.

"It will get better."

Years upon years in an emotionless limbo will get better, is that right? This process is irreversible. And, if a human is ever to fall this far down into hell, there is no climbing back out for them. What motivation do they have to do so- what emotion drives them to change if they have no emotion to lean on?

This fate is a fate worse than death, because death is too good for those who walk this void of a world.

=13=

"Will she ever awaken?"

"Of that, I am uncertain. After all, she's been here for quite some time now. However, it took us a while to awaken, as well.

"We all awoke at nearly the same time, Vexen. Lord Xemnas, of course, awoke first. However, we are in dire need of new members. If she can fight, and maintain herself, then I'm sure Xemnas will approve."

"I'm certain he will. I've been monitoring her status ever since Lord Xemnas brought her back here, and she seems perfectly capable of anything we might ask of her in the future."

The sound of rustling brought both men out of their conversation, the blonde scientist's eyebrow cocking slightly as he glanced over his shoulder at the woman upon the examination bed. His emerald eyes looked her over before he fixed his lab coat, and then made his way over beside the bed. Zexion, the man he had been speaking to before the woman caught their attention, followed closely behind- he was intrigued by this woman, and the process by which she was awakening.

"Ah, yes."

Vexen looked up at a large computer monitor which was covered in different diagrams, ever-changing calculations, and several vital numbers that were steadily rising from what they had been.

"She seems to be awake now."

He brought his hand beside her right ear, snapping a few times in order to get an auditory response. To his expectation, the woman shifted slightly away from the noise, and did the same whenever he tested her left ear as well.

"Good. At least she's not deaf."

Vexen grabbed a small light from the desk behind him, pushing the button in to turn it on. He used his thumb to lift the woman's right eyelid, watching as her pupil constricted in reaction to the light, and then examined her left, obtaining the same reaction.

"She's not blind, either."

"You don't know that, Vexen. Her pupillary response might be normal even though she cannot see. Remember that it depends on the origin of blindness-"

"Quiet, Zexion. We'll simply have to see for ourselves whether or not she's visually impaired once she's fully awake."

Both men watched as the being on the table shifted again, this time turning entirely onto her side upon the table. Vexen hummed softly as he watched her, then turned and typed some things down upon the computer behind him.

"It seems as though the awakening process varies for each Nobody. I cannot say for sure how long it took the six of us to awaken, so I unfortunately have no data to base this hypothesis on, but I'm quite certain that-"

He stopped as he felt a gloved hand come to rest upon his shoulder, and turned his head to watch as Zexion walked past him.

"Come, Vexen. We have other things to be doing rather than watching this Nobody awaken. After all, Xemnas still wishes for us to try and locate other Nobodies for our ranks."

"A-ah, yes. I nearly forgot about that. You simply know how much these things intrigue me, Zexion."

The blonde hastily followed after his partner, taking off his examination gloves and tossing them into a small waste bin that rested beside the entrance to the laboratory. As he exited the door into the room, he flicked off a small switch, allowing the room to become engulfed in darkness once again.

=13=

That darkness is exactly what you awoke to. It wasn't complete darkness, thankfully, due to Vexen leaving his computer monitor on for constant monitoring, but it was still rather hard to see. You brought yourself up slowly, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes looking carefully around the very dim room in an effort to see where you were. What good would that have done you- you had no idea what the world was like. No memories to reflect on to compare what you were currently seeing with anything else. You carefully made your way off the table, your bare feet coming in contact with the icy, smooth flooring below. This caused a shiver to run along your body, but you didn't mind it as you attempted to figure out what you could about this place.

You could see the information on the monitor was something about "vitals" of a Nobody- what was a Nobody? What were vitals for that matter? You were rather clueless as to what all these things meant, but you knew, somewhere inside you, that you needed to figure out exactly where you were and what was going on. You shuffled your way around in the darkness, attempting to find a way out of this room, and you eventually came upon the exit door. It took a moment, but you grasped the knob within your hand and turned it, slowly pushing open the door. You were greeted by a bright light- something that you had to shield your eyes from in order to keep moving. It took several minutes, but your eyes eventually grew accustomed to how bright it was in this new area of… wherever you were.

You brought yourself to the end of the hallway, and heard several voices coming from somewhere down on the end of the adjoining hallway. You turned your head, seeing there was a large, open area at the end of said hall- perhaps there was something or someone there who could help figure out where you were. You managed to walk down the hallway, the voices growing closer as you drew nearer and nearer to the room- eventually, you could make out what someone was saying.

"Yes, Lord Xemnas… she is nearly awake. Zexion and I have been up all evening monitoring her vitals and making sure that she is in proper condition."

"Good. She will make a fine specimen for our seventh member, I have no doubt about that. One cannot help but wonder, however, how long she will last."

The deep, solemn voice was something that you would never forget- and the words he spoke must have been about you. You were, as far as you knew, the only one who had been asleep in this place. But, what did this man mean by 'how long she would last?'

You brought yourself to a halt at the entrance to the large room, taking note of several sofas and chairs that were placed around the room. It seemed to be a place where people gathered to talk, and that was further proved by the six men standing in the front of the room. You were unable to see all of them, since most of their backs were turned, but you could make out the colors of their hair, at least. One of them, a man who possessed bluish-grey hair, seemed to finally notice you out of the corner of his eye. He hastily tapped the blonde on the shoulder, forcefully bringing him out of his current conversation and turning him to face your direction. Naturally, this brought the others to look your way as well, and you quickly glanced back and forth between all of them.

"I digress… it seems she has awoken now, Lord Xemnas."

You watched as a tall, silver-haired man dressed in a black cloak made his way towards you, and then stopped right in front of you. You tilted your head back a bit in order to look up at him, and he seemed pleased with this response.

"You have finally awoken, friend. This is a momentous occasion indeed. You are lost, but worry not, for we shall teach you everything you must know. This place, The World that Never Was, shall be your new home, and we-"

The man stopped, raising his arm in a gesture towards the other five men within the room.

"-we shall be your family. You will work for us, and together, we shall achieve the goal that we have been striving for. Now, I shall bestow upon you your new name."

The man waved his hand in front of you, and several letters appeared within the air. You knew not how he did this, nor what these letters were, but it was rather interesting to see. They moved around a bit, and as they did this, you noticed the other men within the room had come closer to see whatever the outcome was to what this silver-haired man was doing. Finally, the letters stopped, a large X being placed within the now messed up letters. *

"This is your name, friend. Welcome to our ranks. Zexion-"

The man turned, and you watched as the letters faded away from in front of you. Those letters were your name?

"-see that our newest member is well-rested and tended to. You are in charge of her from here, and I expect you to teach her all that she must know."

With that, the silver-haired man walked off down the hallway, finally vanishing from your sight around the corner. You turned your attention back to the man who were still crowded around you, and saw each of them stared at you in what looked like curiosity.

"( _ **Name**_ ), huh? Well then, welcome to the gang, kiddo."

A taller man with a large, jagged scar going across his left eye and an eyepatch covering his right eye pressed his hand upon your head a few times, then wandered back over to one of the sofas and plopped down upon it, seemingly without a care in the world.

A broad-shouldered man, one with violet eyes and bushy sideburns, huffed before rolling his eyes and making his way over to the large window that overlooked the city below. A stern-faced man, one that held ginger-colored hair atop his head, turned his attention to the man who had been left in charge of you, gave a slight nod of his head, and then made his way across the room to take a seat on the sofa across from the man with the eyepatch.

The final man, one with long, blonde hair and emerald green eyes, looked over you several times before giving a gruff grunt and putting his hand upon his hip.

"I don't know why Lord Xemnas left _you_ in charge of her. After all, I was the one who looked after her all this time."

"You act as if I know the answer behind our master's choice, Vexen. I assure you, I do not. However, I will follow his orders and become ( _ **Name**_ )'s mentor. Besides… I looked after her just as much as you did. You would do well to remember that."

You felt a hand be placed upon your shoulder, and you were nudged forward gently as the man began to walk down the hallway. You followed him, leaving the other four men behind in the room. Once you were a bit further down the hall, the man beside you spoke.

"My name is Zexion, ( _ **Name**_ ). I know that you are most likely lost on what all is going on, but rest assured I shall teach you all that you need to know. For now, I will take you to your room and you will rest, understand?"

He looked down at you, and you gave a slow nod of your head to show that you understood.

"I don't expect you to say much yet, but if you can muster up the will to speak, it would do you good in the end. Should you require any assistance at all, do not hesitate to let me know."

You saw him stop, and he pushed open a door that was to his right to reveal a small room with a bed inside. There wasn't much else inside- not even a window to look out of, but it wasn't like you cared about any of that. You walked inside and over to the bed, slowly sitting down upon it. This seemed to please Zexion, and he gave you a slight nod of approval.

"Good. Now, rest. Tomorrow, you and I have quite a bit of work to do."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : The beginning of this chapter is meant to signify the relation of depression/emotionless-ness in the real world to the emotionless behavior and what the Nobodies in Kingdom Hearts experience. It was written 'out of character' for a reason, and it will remain that way. So, please do not get up in arms about how it is written, because I already know about it, and it will not be changing.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : I am leaving your Organization name up to you. Remember that it is your jumbled-up name with an X somewhere within it. It might be hard to make one if you possess a unique name, but I'm certain you can do it.


	2. Power

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

*The constant tapping of keys upon the keyboard in the room filled the Nobody's ears as he entered the laboratory; this was always the tell-tale sign that the person he was looking for was right where he needed to be.

"Vexen."

The blonde rolled his eyes upon hearing his name. Didn't the others know by now that he hated being disturbed whilst he was working in his lab? He gave a well-defined sigh, exaggerating it slightly in an effort to convey his displeasure, and then turned around and leaned against the desk he had previously been typing upon.

"What? Apparently, my work here isn't very important- at least, that's what it seems like whenever I'm disturbed."

Emerald eyes followed the blue-haired man as he wandered aimlessly about in the laboratory, watching as he examined various objects and utensils that they had used upon caring after their newest member within the Organization. Zexion eventually stopped in front of the large screen that still held ( _ **Name**_ )'s vital information, and he hummed softly to himself.

"Surely you've come into my lab to do more than wander about aimlessly, yes? Or might I have to begin worrying about your level of mental health, Zexion?"

"Hmm… you say that as if you have the capacity or capability to worry, Vexen. You are correct in the assumption that I have other business in coming here- in fact, it has something to do with ( _ **Name**_ )."

Vexen's eyebrow cocked slightly at the mention of their newest member; what on earth could be the issue with her? She had only just joined the previous day.

"( _ **Name**_ )? What on earth are you talking about, Zexion?"

"Xemnas never told us where he found her. When the six founding members of Organization XIII awoke, we all awoke in Twilight Town, yes? That, as you are surely aware of by now, is the birthplace of all Nobodies that possess a human form.* We are all reborn in the same place, and are able to be conscious within minutes. However, it took ( _ **Name**_ ) several days to awaken, and we had to constantly monitor her. Our naming ceremony was also held in front of the manor gates, whereas ( _ **Name**_ )'s was held here within the castle."

"Yes… and your point is? Surely you aren't accusing our Lord of some heinous, false acts against the Organization that _he himself_ founded with the five of us, are you? How could Lord Xemnas hold the naming ceremony if ( _ **Name**_ ) was not conscious to witness it? And, I believe just yesterday I mentioned something about how Nobodies seem to awaken at varying intervals upon examining ( _ **Name**_ ) for the last time, Zexion."

Zexion, knowing that Vexen held a valid point, held his tongue and instead turned his attention to a number in the lower right area of the monitoring screen, and then turned to face the blonde on the opposite end of the room.

"Vexen, you have all the vital information of the rest of us, don't you?"

"Of course. You act as though I'm irresponsible with my data collection responsibilities."

"Bring up the rest of the members."

Once again, the blonde rolled his eyes and gave a quiet sigh before doing what his associate had asked of him. He had to shift through various folders and files of information, but he eventually pulled up the rest of the information on the same screen, save Xemnas, since he refused to give any vital information to the scientist upon the founding of the Organization. Once the information had been pulled up upon the screen, Zexion began to carefully examine each and every one of them; not to his surprise, the number that he had seen upon ( _ **Name**_ )'s data was much larger than the numbers upon the other member's data charts.

"Vexen, what is this number?"

Vexen raised his hand as he began to answer, and then stopped as a rather perplexed look came upon his face. Come to think of it, he was never told what that number in particular meant, so he honestly was incapable of answering the question that Zexion had asked him.

"As much as I'd like to avoid seeming like an imbecile, I'm afraid I don't know what that number means. Now that you mention it, I'd like to know what this number is, and why ( _ **Name**_ )'s is so large in comparison to the rest of ours."

"As do I, Vexen… as do I."

=13=

You awoke to the same room that you had fallen asleep in the previous day- the walls were still the same, dullish grey color, and there was nothing more than the bed in the room to greet you as you awoke. You brought yourself into an upright position, gently throwing the blanket off of you before shifting yourself to move off the bed and rise to your feet. No sooner had you done this did the door to your room open, revealing the same man that was assigned to be your mentor the previous day.

"Ah, it would seem you're awake. Good. I brought you something."

You watched as he brought a black cloak from his side to in front of him, and your eyes quickly scanned over the object within his hands. He walked forward, his gloved hand undoing the zipped on the front of the cloak as he did so.

"You can't keep going around in that medical robe you've been wearing since you arrived here, ( _ **Name**_ ). Especially now that you're part of our Organization. Every member has a unique robe fitting of their stature and physique, and you're no exception."

He held out the robe to you, and you stared at it for a moment before looking up at him. He gave a soft sigh, then used his free hand to turn you around in front of him.

"I tend to forget that you're not used to such things yet. I shall help you dress this one time, ( _ **Name**_ ). After this, it's up to you to do such things yourself."

You felt the string that had been holding the medical gear to your body become undone, and the fabric slipped off your body and onto the floor. You were already wearing proper undergarments, so that wasn't an issue, but you instinctively brought your arm over your chest even though you were turned away from the man. This action seemed to catch Zexion's attention, and he cocked his eyebrow slightly as he brought the cloak over your shoulders.

"Interesting. I must wonder why you did that, ( _ **Name**_ ). It's not like we have the ability to feel such embarrassment."

He continued to dress you, bringing each arm into its proper sleeve before moving himself in front of you and beginning to zip up the front of your cloak.

"It just… happened…"

Zexion immediately stopped what he was doing, his cerulean-blue eyes staring directly at you. Those were the first words you had spoken since you had awoken the previous day, so it was only natural that it would pique his curiosity.

"Good, you're remembering how to speak. That will come in handy today- you and I are going out to discover what ability you possess."

"Ability…?"

"Yes, ( _ **Name**_ ). Each one of us in the Organization is gifted with special abilities to use in combat. For example, Vexen, the blonde-haired man you met yesterday, uses the power of ice in combat in various ways."

This new information took a while to settle within your mind, but then again, that was happening a lot with everything lately. You knew the basics of things, but it had taken you until just now to figure out how to speak. You kept trying to remember things before you had awoken in this strange place, but you found yourself unable to do so no matter how hard you tried. Perhaps Zexion could tell you why that was when the two of you went out to train today. You felt Zexion's finger brush against the underside of your chin as he finished zipping up your cloak, and he hummed quietly before moving away from you.

"There. Now, sit on the bed."

You listened without hesitation, bringing yourself to sit upon the edge of your bed. You watched him drop down to his knees, and he placed a pair of boots onto the ground beside him. You assumed he had brought them in with the cloak, but you hadn't seen them before now. He lifted your right leg, shifted the bottom of your cloak slightly out of the way, and then slid the boot upon your foot. He zipped up the side, securing it in place, and then proceeded to do the same procedure to your left foot.

"There. Now you look like a true member of our Organization. We mustn't waste any time, however. Come along."

You brought yourself to your feet, getting used to the feeling of the heeled boots you were now wearing upon them. Your attention turned to a large, oval-like void that had appeared within the room, and you had to admit, it looked rather intimidating. However, you saw your mentor walking towards it, so you did the same thing.

"Zex…ion."

"Correct, ( _ **Name**_ ). You pronounced it efficiently. What is it?"

"Where… are we going?"

"Ah, yes. This is the first thing I should teach you- this portal that I have summoned acts as a means of transportation for us Nobodies between the endless worlds of the cosmos. Each one of us has the ability to summon such a portal at any given time, and you shall learn how to do it in time."

As much as you wanted to say you understood what he was saying, in truth, you were still rather clueless. He had said "us Nobodies"- what did that mean exactly? However, you decided that it would be best to leave that question for later, and followed him within the dark void.

=13=

When you and your mentor exited the corridor of darkness, you nearly lost your balance due to the ground beneath your feet shifting unexpectedly. Had it not been for Zexion, who grabbed your shoulder in an effort to keep you stable, you would have ended up face first upon the ground. Once you were able to keep your balance on your own, you looked down at the culprit that had nearly bested you: sand. You shifted your foot slightly, watching the grainy substance fall right back under your feet to fill the area you had moved your foot to.

"Come now, ( _ **Name**_ ). We have training to do. This is one of the areas I have a habit of coming to whenever I wish to train myself, simply because it's rather quiet and easy to concentrate."

As much as you wished to keep looking around, the best you could do was give a quick glance to the area surrounding the both of you. To your front, a very large body of water that seemingly never-ended; behind you, there were several large trees, a dock, several small boats, ladders and winding walkways suspended within the air, a small pool of water with more constantly rushing in from above, and to the very back, a small, dark cavern covered by several bushes.

"This is an island, ( _ **Name**_ ). This is where you and I will come if you ever wish to train further after this. Now, you are subconsciously attuned to whatever weapon you will use in the field, so, think very hard about needing your weapon, and it shall come to you."

You took Zexion's words into consideration, and closed your eyes in an attempt to further concentrate. You expected something to appear within your grasp, but nothing of the sort happened. There was, however, a rather interesting sound beginning to happen around you. You attempted to pay it no heed, and instead increased your concentration on attempting to summon whatever weapon you somehow possessed, according to Zexion.

Zexion, however, was focused on something that had every ounce of his attention at the time. Whilst you were busy concentrating on materializing your weapon, the trees in the surrounding area had begun to wither and rot at a rapidly increasing rate. That, unbeknownst to you, was the noise that you had begun to hear whilst you were concentrating. Turning to the sea, Zexion took notice that several of the inhabitants, such as fish and a few crabs, were now void of anything that resembled life.

"Impossible…"

You felt Zexion grab your shoulders, and that brought you out of your deep concentration. You stared at him, wondering what it was that made him stop you.

"( _ **Name**_ )… I need you to do something for me. I am testing a hypothesis currently. Close your eyes, and will that the Heartless that have previously been felled here return to life."

You found this task to be rather interesting, but you went ahead and followed your mentor's instructions. Once more, you closed your eyes, and thought about bringing these "Heartless" back to life. Zexion watched carefully, and sure enough, several dark puddles began to materialize on the sand in the surrounding area. He watched as mangled Heartless emerged from these puddles, and then hastily shook your shoulders to bring you out of your concentration.

"( _ **Name**_ ), look at what you've done."

You looked around, seeing the Heartless that you had apparently summoned wander around aimlessly in the sand. You then took notice of the trees in the surrounding area, and the sea life within the water. You had done all of this? But, you had failed in summoning your weapon, and you assumed that Zexion was going to punish you for failing this task.

"I… couldn't do it."

"No, no, ( _ **Name**_ ). Your weapon isn't one that takes a visible form… as odd as it is for me to say this, I believe that you possess the ability to control the Nether.* You are able to destroy and manipulate the rate of destruction of everything in your surrounding area, be it living or deceased. You are the one who willed those trees to rot, and thus they did… I never believed that the ability to control Nether would be one given to a member of our Organization- I simply must tell Vexen about this."

You watched as Zexion formed yet another void portal, and then took notice of the Heartless that were still wandering about in the sand.

"( _ **Name**_ ), see if you can control them to your will."

Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes stared intently at the smaller Heartless, and you noticed the antennas upon their heads began to twitch slightly.

"Have them attack me. I assure you I am more than capable of defending myself."

You gave a slight nod of your head, and then began to will that the Heartless attack your mentor. No sooner did you do this did all of them rapidly lunge towards him, and true to his word, he felled them with one blow. He stood in silence, and then waved his hand towards himself in a gesture for you to follow him into the portal he had created.

=13=

"Vexen! Vexen!"

The rapid steps of none other than Zexion made their way into Vexen's ears, and he groaned as he stopped typing yet again. How many times was this man planning on interrupting his work today?

"What is it this time, Zexion?"

"It's about ( ** _Name_** ). Vexen… she has the ability to control The Final Element."

Vexen's eyes widened, and he nearly stumbled back into his desk. Never did he believe that he would hear such a thing, especially since he had hypothesized that the Final Element was to never be bestowed upon a Nobody. And, of all Nobodies, why would that ability be given to ( _ **Name**_ )?

"Zexion, surely you must jest. You're meaning to tell me that she has the power to control the _Nether_?

"Yes, Vexen. I witnessed her bring healthy trees to nothing more than rot. I witnessed her make fish and crabs devoid of all life, and I watched her bring felled Heartless back from the void and _control_ them, Vexen. Do you understand what this means? She could become powerful enough to amass an army of never-ending Heartless. Should her minions be felled, she can simply re-animate them as many times as her strength would allow! They don't regain the hearts they released upon being slain the first time, but Vexen… a Nobody that can _summon and control_ Heartless is now on our side. She will surely be a great asset to us."

"A Nobody that can summon Pureblood Heartless… I thought that previously impossible. We all have Nobodies that we can summon, but I've never seen a Nobody that is able to summon Heartless to their side. Does Lord Xemnas know about this?"

Zexion shook his head, a quiet sigh passing his lips. He was deep in thought about whether or not to tell Xemnas about her ability.

"I fear that Lord Xemnas might think her power too strong. The Final Element, if controlled properly, could potentially wipe out the Organization if she ever turned her back on us."

"And? You act as though she is a dear friend of yours, Zexion. Remember that she just came about yesterday. If Lord Xemnas deems her ineffective or too strong for our Organization, then let him turn her into a Dusk. We shall surely find other Nobodies to replace her."

Zexion said nothing in reply to the scientist- he simply didn't understand how important this girl now was to the Organization. Or, perhaps he did, but was letting his ego guide his words as he typically did. The Schemer did know one thing though- he had to make sure that this girl _never_ strayed from the intentions of the Organization. If their plans were to succeed, her powers could potentially keep any who opposed at bay.

He would keep her within the Organization by whatever means necessary.

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : I have a head-canon that there is a science lab within the castle in The World that Never Was. All information on every Organization member is kept here; this falls into place within the KHIIFM story, as you find the data-versions of the members that you can battle in the Garden of Assemblage.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : Twilight Town is canonically the birthplace of all human-form Nobodies. This is _not_ a head-canon, but is in fact where all human-form Nobodies come into existence.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : All Organization members have the ability to control a certain element; the Nether is one of them. Allowing each reader to choose an element would make writing this incredibly hard, so I decided it would be best to simply pick one that would be unique and interesting. If you wish to read more about the Nether and the abilities one could potentially have by controlling it, please read here - wiki/Nether_Manipulation


	3. Growth

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

"Xemnas, do you not think that this girl's power could become too overbearing? Surely you must be thinking in the best interest of the Organization."

The words of Xaldin traveled across the empty, white room, reaching the ever-listening ears of the Organization's leader. His gloved finger tapped lightly upon his chin as he maintained his deep thought; he was indeed struggling to determine whether or not this Nobody would become detrimental to the Organization's cause, or if she could possibly mean the downfall of all that he had created should she turn on them. As much as he disliked admitting such a thing, her power was far greater than his- the Nether was a force that could obliterate all that opposed, should she grow strong enough to control each aspect of the element.

"I understand your concern, Xaldin. However, I believe it would be within our best interest that she stays within our ranks for the time being. Zexion is keeping her in line thus far, and with each passing day, she learns how to control her power further and further."

A gruff huff left the lips of the Lancer, his arms folding across his chest as he leaned back in his chair. As much as he trusted his leader, there were far too many variables that would not work in their favor if anything went wrong with this girl.

"C'mon, Xaldin- lighten up! We got a girl who can harness the very power of life and death on our side!"

Xigbar chimed in his rather unwelcomed two cents, earning a cold glare from the Lancer. The Freeshooter took no notice at this, and was about to further his words, until he noticed a dark portal appear upon one of the previously-empty chairs in the room.

"That, my under-educated friend, is where you are wrong."

All eyes fell upon the blonde scientist that now housed his chair, and he moved a few strands of his hair out of the way before beginning to speak.

"She does not control the forces of life, Xigbar. She controls only the forces of death and destruction. For example- the reason that she can control Heartless is because Heartless are defined as deceased beings. She controls their energy, what little remains of it, and bids them to do her dirty work. She cannot control Nobodies, since Nobodies lie upon the horizon of both life and death. They do not exist; therefore, she cannot control them."

These words took the interest of Xemnas, who now had a new perspective on whether or not she could be useful to the Organization.

"Vexen, are you claiming that she cannot use her powers on us Nobodies?"

"I never said that, my Lord."

The room was quiet for a minute, before Vexen again broke the silence.

"I simply stated that she cannot _control_ Nobodies. Meaning, she will never be able to form Nobodies of her own free will like we are able to. However, her powers will still be able to work upon us. Another example- take Xigbar, for instance. He is a healthy, able-bodied Nobody. Should he get on ( _ **Name**_ )'s bad side, she could bestow upon him any number of afflictions… we have yet to see this power wielded by her, but should she develop such control over it, I would avoid upsetting her."

This made Xaldin give a very rare chuckle, and he gave a slight roll of his eyes.

"Upsetting her… you speak as though she is capable of becoming upset, Vexen. She is a Nobody… just like the rest of us. She is incapable of feeling anything."

Xigbar shot Xemnas a quick glance, something that no one else within the room noticed but the leader himself, and he leaned back within his chair as his hands came to rest upon his lap.

"You are all dismissed. Xigbar, stay."

Xemnas waited until both Xaldin and Vexen had left the meeting room, and then gave a heavy sigh.

"Xigbar- you are my most trusted member within the Organization thus far. What are your thoughts on ( _ **Name**_ ) and her abilities?"

"Eh, if I'm being honest with ya, I don't really have an opinion on it. As long as she doesn't start messin' things up on our end, I think she'll be a fine addition to our Organization. Besides, she's got Zexion looking after her."

Xemnas folded his fingers into the palm of his hand, resting his cheek upon his newly-formed fist as he closed his eyes. This girl was proving to be quite the predicament, and he still wasn't completely sure what to do about it.

"I do have to wonder, though… if Zexion and ( _ **Name**_ ) keep being partners, will their hearts return* faster?"

Xemnas opened his eyes once again, turning his full attention to the Freeshooter.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Xemnas. You and I are the only two who know that Nobodies can have their hearts return over time. If Zexion should happen to… I dunno… fall for his partner…"

"No such thing will happen. As far as the rest of the members know, a Nobody is forever without a heart. Why do you think they go about pretending to have emotion?"

"Pretending? As if, Xemnas. *Our hearts left a permanent imprint on us, and those imprints represent our 'emotions.' Why do you think Vexen and Zexion get into so many arguments all the time? Xaldin is the only one I could really call 'emotionless' and mean it. Our laughter is real, and so is our curiosity and anger. And, it's only a matter of time before the other members happen to realize this… especially Zexion or Vexen. You of all people should know these things, Xemnas… we are just as much human as real humans. We have every instinct, every emotion, every natural urge… yet we feel like they don't exist simply because we _know we're lacking hearts_."

As much as Xemnas wished that Xigbar was spewing nothing more than nonsense, he knew that he was right. Human Nobodies did indeed lack hearts, but everything that the heart held still remained within them. And, if Zexion did happen to begin falling for his partner, that would become detrimental to Xemnas' overall plan. Xemnas leaned back in his chair, another heavy sigh leaving his lips.

"Xigbar- return to Twilight Town and see if any new Nobodies have come into existence there. I need time to think."

"You got it, boss."

=13=

"You're doing very well, ( _ **Name**_ ). The past few weeks have allowed you to hone your skill further, and that is something that you've desperately needed. But, it seems that you can control your power better than ever now, and that's a good sign."

You looked over at your mentor, a few soft pants leaving your lips as you did so. Using your ability for too long made you rather tired, but you were obtaining better stamina with each passing day. Alongside better stamina, you could now hone in on targets you wished to use your abilities on instead of the entire surrounding area, and that was something that Zexion stated would be extremely helpful in the field once you were strong enough to begin working fully for the Organization.

"Come over to the docks, ( _ **Name**_ ). As much as you have been working to better attune yourself to your power, there comes much need for rest and relaxation, as well. I believe you've trained enough for today."

Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes followed him as he walked across the sand to the wooden dock, and then hoisted himself up onto it. You followed his lead, sitting down beside him at the very end of the dock to overlook the ocean. All was quiet for a while as the two of you listened to the waves and the sounds around the island, and then Zexion cleared his throat as you felt something brush against your shoulder.

"Hm?"

You turned to look at him, and he was holding out a small vial for you to take. You took it without hesitation, and took the cork out from the top.

"It's a revitalization potion. I carry several of them with me at all times in case I happen to grow weary outside the castle. I assure you that the quality is nothing short of good- I made them myself."

You nodded your head, bringing the vial to your lips and allowing the liquid to drip into your mouth. He wasn't wrong in what he said- it tasted wonderful. However, you couldn't quite tell exactly what the flavor was. After all, you hadn't been exposed to much food since your arrival at the castle three weeks ago.

"Zexion, what is it supposed to taste like?"

"Ah, yes. I cannot stand bitter potions, so I took the flavor from something in Twilight Town that several of the other members happen to enjoy quite a bit. I have yet to try the real thing for myself, but it's something called 'Sea Salt Ice Cream.' Xigbar brought one back to the castle one day and I decided, since everyone liked it so much, that I would use the flavoring in my potions. I happened to like the taste of it, so I kept using it. Call me an imbecile for not seeing if I liked the flavor beforehand, but I needed something other than bitterness in my potions."

You looked down at the now empty vial in your hand, and then gave a soft sigh. You could feel your strength returning, and you placed the vial between the two of you on the docks.

"Well, maybe you and I could try it someday, right? I mean, after all, all we have to do is go to Twilight Town to get the real thing. You said so yourself!"

"Perhaps. How different can it be from my potions, though?"

You thought for a moment, and then gave a quiet hum in response to him. He had a point- if the flavor had originally come from the ice cream itself, how different could it be? You looked down at the water beneath you, and then felt your lips turn up slightly. As if your body was now moving on auto-pilot, you took off your boots, and allowed yourself to slip off the docks and into the water- it was cold to your skin, but you quickly got used to it.

"( _ **Name**_ ), what on earth are you doing?"

You didn't care about your coat, since you allowed yourself to slip further underneath the enticing water. It was still cold, but again, your body got used to it fairly quickly. Before you managed to answer Zexion, all but your head was now under the water.

"I honestly don't know… but you should join me. The water feels really good, Zexion. I thought about just putting my feet in, but I guess my mind had other plans."

"( _ **Name**_ ), I really don't think that's very beneficial to-"

"Oh come on, Zexion. You said yourself that we need to relax sometimes… so relax."

Zexion sighed in defeat. He knew that you were right, and he did say that they needed relaxation at some points as well. Since he knew that their training was done for the day, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to try the water for a little while. He took off his boots, just as you had, and then allowed himself into the water. He hissed slightly at how cold it initially was, but found that it was easier for his skin to accept the further out he went.

"Congratulations, ( _ **Name**_ ). You've successfully made me throw aside all logical reasoning in not taking off my coat before getting in the water."

Although you knew that you lacked emotion, as Zexion and many others had told you countless times over the past few weeks, you couldn't help the laugh that passed from your lips. You knew not where it erupted from, but all you knew was that you had to laugh. This caught Zexion's attention, and he hummed quietly as he moved his now partially-wet hair out of his face for once.

"Zexion… do you really think that we don't have emotion?"

This question caught the Schemer off guard, and he thought for a moment before giving a quiet sigh.

"How could we, ( _ **Name**_ )? We lack hearts, and hearts are where emotions stem from. We know so little about the heart, but we _do_ know that's where emotions come from."

"I have to disagree, Zexion. How could I laugh like I just did, or how could we move around without acting like mindless zombies if we were truly without emotion? You and Vexen tend to get into arguments too, which proves my point a bit further."

Zexion stayed quiet for a minute, and then gave a slow shake of his head. He knew that everything she was saying was true, and he would have to confide his confusion with Vexen later.

"I'm not sure, ( _ **Name**_ ). But, I do know one thing. Your vocabulary is ever improving, and I must take some partial credit for that."

The Schemer felt the corners of his lips turn up into a very slight smile, and he cleared his throat before his features returned to their normal solemn state. Now he was smiling? It wasn't like he *willed himself to do it like he had many times previously; this one was a smile that erupted without him thinking to do so.

"Come, ( _ **Name**_ ). We need to get back to the castle."

You forced yourself to purse your lips into what had been described as a 'pout', and Zexion rolled his eyes in response to this. However, following his words, you and the Schemer brought yourselves back to the docks in order to grab your shoes. Upon exiting the water, your coats dripped in a seemingly never-ending rain, which Zexion sighed at.

"Wring your coat out a bit, ( _ **Name**_ ). We don't want to track water all over the castle. That would be a rather intimidating mess to have to clean up."

"Yes, Zexion…"

=13=

Upon returning to the castle, you and Zexion happened to return to the gathering room which was occupied by all members except Xaldin. All eyes fell upon the two of you, and Vexen cocked his eyebrow slightly.

"I see that you and ( _ **Name**_ ) had quite the time training today, Zexion. Apparently, training is now equivalent to that of swimming, yes?"

Zexion furrowed his brows, placing his hand on your shoulder before nudging you towards the hall that led to your room. You obeyed his silent action, beginning to walk down the corridor with him by your side. Vexen scoffed at this, taking off down the hallway towards his lab where he could find at least _some_ form of peace. Once everyone else, save Xemnas and Xigbar, had left the gathering area, Xigbar gave a small smirk and glanced up at his silver-haired leader.

"Need I state my worries again, my Lord?"

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : It has been canonically stated that Human Nobodies, like Xemnas and the Organization, can regain their hearts over time.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : I have a head-canon that states that the reason Nobodies "feel" is because they have an imprint left from when they did have hearts. This imprint acts almost like an emotional trigger, which activates whenever something happens that would have triggered that emotion when they still had hearts. (Granted, in real life, emotions are produced by varying parts of the brain; trying my best to stick to Kingdom Hearts logic here).

 _Author's Note (3)_ : Nobodies do have the ability to feel- however they feel like they are still empty due to not having a heart. This causes uncertainty, thus leading them to believe they have no 'real' emotions. In correspondence to my previously mentioned head-canon, aside from Xemnas and Xigbar, the other members believe they have to pretend to have emotions. Thus, when Zexion feels himself smiling, it makes him confused as he did not will himself to smile.

 _Author's Note (4)_ : If you wish to read more about the emotional side of Human Nobodies, please examine the "Organization XIII" portion of the Kingdom Hearts Wikipedia.


	4. Bonds

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

* **There is a story spoiler for future chapters at the end of this chapter underneath** _ **Author's Note (3)**_ **. You have been warned.**

=13=

Hours after you and Zexion had returned from training at the beach, you were now back within your room. You had covered yourself up with the blanket from your bed, and were now nothing more than a shivering mass of Nobody underneath it. Naturally, your soaked coat had become extremely cold, so you had discarded it before cuddling up underneath your blanket in an attempt to warm yourself. You felt another shiver travel through your body as a knock on your door caught your attention, and you glanced up to see none other than Zexion opening your door. You tugged the blanket further around your body, attempting to hide anything from him that you hoped he didn't happen to see. Now, however, the man was dressed in *sleepwear- his shirt and pants were a shade of light grey, white stripes travelling vertically down them. On his feet, he wore a pair of black slippers; it certainly was odd seeing him in such attire, but you figured that he found it more comfortable to wear such things to bed instead of his coat- especially since his coat was more than likely still water-logged.

"Good evening, ( _ **Name**_ ). I figured you might still be up."

Your eyes followed the man as he walked beside you, then took a seat upon your bed at your side. In his right hand, he held a small cup that happened to have steam coming off the top- this was held out to you, and you gave Zexion a rather questioning look.

"It's something warm for you to drink, ( _ **Name**_ ). I know you must be cold, you being bundled up further shows that, and that is no condition for you to be in. Especially since it opens your immune system up to illness far easier than if your core temperature was normal. Believe it or not, we Nobodies can still become ill."

You reached out, carefully taking the warm cup from his hands. You brought it to your lips, allowing the sweet drink to pass them. Once you had a sip, being careful not to take too much in an effort to keep from burning yourself, you held the cup close to your chest.

"It's good. What is it?"

"It's called hot chocolate, ( _ **Name**_ ). Vexen is, as much as he will go out of his way to deny it, very fond of it. I took it upon myself to make some for you, much to his dissatisfaction."

You gave a small nod of your head, taking yet another sip from your cup. It warmed you up, and made being cuddled under your blanket much more… enjoyable? That's what the emotion would normally be, right?

"Also, Xigbar returned from Twilight Town not too long ago. He has found two more members for our Organization. I was there for their naming ceremony- their names are Axel and Saïx. Tomorrow, you will be able to meet them."

You tilted your head slightly upon hearing their names. Axel and Saïx- you wondered what they looked like, and how they were going to act around the Organization. You turned your attention back to Zexion, who looked as though he was deep in thought.

"Is something wrong, Zexion?"

"No… I'm simply wondering about things, is all. You took quite a while to awaken, ( _ **Name**_ ). However, Axel and Saïx were conscious and ready to work nearly as soon as Xigbar found them, according to him. You seem to be the only one who has taken a while to wake up after coming into existence."

You hummed quietly in response to his words, taking another sip from your cup. You were beginning to believe that there was something wrong with you, if you were to be honest. You had been the only one, as Zexion stated, to be in a state of comatose when Xemnas brought you back to the castle. And, this power of yours was obviously something that was of great interest to each member of the Organization. However, was the interest good or bad? That was something that you couldn't tell.

"Don't allow my words to trouble you, ( _ **Name**_ ). Allow me to say something else to put your mind at ease. Tomorrow, you and I have been selected to go to Twilight Town and keep an eye out for any Nobodies that might come into existence there. We've been tasked at recruiting new members for the Organization."

You perked up a bit upon hearing this, and you gave a hasty nod of your head.

"Does this mean we can try that sea salt stuff you talked about earlier today, Zexion?"

"You mean sea salt ice cream? I suppose that means we could try it… if you do well enough on our mission. I shan't be so easy to give out rewards unless you earn them."

"Do good? Of course I'll do good; all we have to do is keep an eye out for good members, right? How hard could that possibly be?"

Zexion hummed softly to himself in response to your question, his fingers fixing the collar of his shirt as it had somehow gotten a bit out of place in the time he had been within your room.

"Just keep in mind that you shall only be rewarded if we succeed in our mission, ( _ **Name**_ ). Lord Xemnas is in desperate need of new members."

You nodded your head, and saw that the man rose to his feet. He made his way over to the door, and then glanced at you over your shoulder.

"Rest well, ( _ **Name**_ ). We need all the rest we can acquire."

With that, the man strode off out of the room, shutting your door behind him. You stared at the door for a few moments, and then looked down at the now lukewarm liquid within your cup. Since you didn't have anything in your room to set the cup upon, you placed it upon the ground beside your bed after taking a few more sips from it- you could have finished it off, but decided against it. You gave a soft sigh as you curled further into your blanket, your eyes closing slowly as you managed to drift off into a dreamless slumber.

=13=

Before heading to Twilight Town the next morning, you met Axel, who was a tall, slender man with brilliantly red hair. He seemed nice enough for a Nobody, treating you rather kindly, if that was the word to use. Saïx, on the other hand, was a very quiet, serious-looking man that seemed to cut you simply by looking at you. You made a mental note not to mess with him too much, as he seemed to resemble Xaldin in terms of personality- if you could use that terminology to describe how each member of the Organization acted. Once you had been properly introduced to each of them, you and Zexion were off to complete the mission that you had been given.

Your first reaction to Twilight Town was something that Zexion took note of- you looked mesmerized by the scenes of the town, and almost seemed as if you remembered nothing about it. Even if you hadn't seen the town itself, you surely would have remembered the mansion if you had even the slightest bit of consciousness upon coming into the world. However, this idea also proved to be false when Zexion took you to into the woods leading up the mansion; you remembered nothing about this place at all- not one single thing.

"It's odd that you remember nothing about Twilight Town, ( _ **Name**_ ). Even with our awakenings, we remember coming into existence quite well. However, don't let that thought disrupt our current goal- we need to keep an eye out for potential members, yes?"

You nodded your head, but you couldn't seem to rid yourself of those thoughts. Again, you were beginning to wonder why you were so different from everyone else. All of the other members seemed to have physical manifestations of their weapons that were unique to both their 'personality' and their elemental skill. You, on the other hand, simply had nothing but your will in control of your power. Perhaps Vexen might be able to come up with an idea about why this was? However, your mind was drawn away from those thoughts upon seeing someone, at least you thought it looked like someone, in front of the mansion gates.

"Zexion… it looks like there's someone there. See? At the gates of the mansion."

Zexion turned his attention further up the hill leading to the mansion, and sure enough, there was someone wandering about the mansion grounds. He hummed quietly, pressing his hand against your shoulder to keep you from going forward.

"Allow me, ( _ **Name**_ ). If this isn't a Nobody, I don't want a fellow member getting hurt. So, stay behind me."

The Schemer stepped forward, making sure that his apprentice stayed behind him as he did so. Thankfully, as they approached, he did come to find that this was merely another Nobody that had been brought into existence. He was rather pale, his blonde hair messed up atop his head.

"( _ **Name**_ ), go inform Lord Xemnas that we've found an able-bodied Nobody to join the Organization. Make haste."

You gave a quick nod of your head, raising your hand to give rise to a portal in order to quickly return back to the castle. Once there, you hurried through the halls of the large castle to see if Xemnas was within the gathering area as he had been many times before. Unfortunately, the only person you happened to come upon was Xigbar.

"Ah- hey, kiddo. Whatcha up to? I thought you were supposed to be in Twilight Town with Zexion?"

You nodded quickly, stopping for a moment to catch your breath. When you were finally able to form words once again, you told Xigbar about the blonde man that you and Zexion had found outside of the mansion gates. You said that he looked rather lost, and didn't seem to have any recollection of where he was.

"Ah, looks like you're turnin' out to be alright after all, kiddo! That definitely sounds like a new Nobody to me… you go on and head back- I'll go and tell Xemnas about this new guy."

Just as he had done on the day of your awakening, he pat your head twice before hurrying off down the hallway towards wherever you supposed your leader might have been. You formed another portal to take you back to Twilight Town, and you found yourself exiting right beside your blue-haired mentor. You noticed that the new Nobody was still aimlessly wandering about- however, he was now muttering something about how he needed to *fix his hair.

No sooner had you returned did yet another portal appear near the mansion- this one had allowed Xemnas and the other members through in order to attend the initiation ceremony.

"Seems you and your friend here have managed to complete your mission, Zexion. I must say I'm proud of you for being able to handle yourself alone!"

Zexion scowled slightly at the mocking tone Vexen was giving him, but knew better than to begin an argument with him at a time like this. Xemnas, now in front of the blonde-haired man, began to speak the same words he had spoken on the day he had given you your name.

"You are lost, but worry not, for we shall teach you everything you must know about our Organization. Those surrounding you shall be your new family- you will work for us, and together, we shall achieve the goal that we have been striving for. Now, I shall bestow upon you your new name."

Your eyes fell upon the letters that manifested within the air in front of the newcomer, and you watched in curiosity as they began to jumble, just as yours had upon the day you received your name. However, you couldn't help but wonder where the letters came from- did Xemnas merely think of them, or was there a far greater meaning behind them? Then, the X finally came about, appearing right at the end of his new name.

"Demyx… welcome to our Organization. Return to The World that Never Was with us, and we shall make you acquainted with all that we hold there."

You and Zexion watched as Xemnas, the others, and the new member returned home, and you heard your mentor give a quiet sigh.

"Honestly, I do have to wonder why Vexen doubts my abilities so much. It becomes so hard to hold my tongue against him, especially when in the presence of our leader."

You stayed quiet for a while, not quite sure what to say to him. You knew that he and Vexen rarely saw eye to eye, but you weren't aware that it bothered Zexion this much. It was then that you had an idea- hopefully one that would help put your mentor's mind at ease. You grabbed the sleeve of his coat, attempting to tug him back towards the town.

"C'mon, Zexion. You said if we did our job, we could get some of that ice cream stuff, yeah? Let's get some then. We found a Nobody, right?"

"Just because we found one doesn't mean there can't be more, ( _ **Name**_ ). However, the event of finding two Nobodies within the same day _is_ rather unlikely…"

"Then come on, Zexion. Don't be such a stooge for a bit and just relax… it's not like we're neglecting our entire mission. Besides, we've been here for hours already- I think if more than one Nobody was going to appear, they would have been here by now."

"You sure are forceful, you know that? It's a wonder how the two of us manage to complete our tasks, honestly."

=13=

After finally convincing Zexion to get some of the ice cream from one of the shops in town, the two of you traveled from Twilight Town to the islands again- you preferred to go there, and if Zexion was ever to be honest, he preferred to be there as well. He was never the type for bustling cities or busy streets- he'd much rather be in a quiet place, one where he could simply do what he wished in peace. As you had done the day before, the two of you sat on the docks overlooking the ocean, and you had just taken your first bite of the cold treat you held within your fingers.

"It deserves its name, you know… it's strange how two totally different tastes can come together and make something this good."

You looked over at Zexion, who was still staring down at the treat in his hand. You tilted your head a bit, wondering if something was the matter. He had mentioned wanting to try this before, so why was he hesitating now?

"Zexion- you alright?"

Whatever had bewitched Zexion suddenly lost its grasp on him- he shook his head slightly, as if being pulled out of deep thought, and then looked over at you.

"A-ah, yes. Forgive me. I've simply been thinking about quite a bit, is all. After all, as one of the scientists of the Organization, it is my duty to always delve within my own thoughts and question nearly everything."

You watched as he hesitantly took a bite from the corner of his bar, and he seemed to give a puzzled look at it for a moment before humming softly to himself.

"Interesting. Though my potions are concocted of nothing but the same flavor as this very bar, somehow, the actual item tastes much better."

The two of you sat in silence for a while after he spoke. There was nothing to break that silence aside from the sound of gentle waves washing upon the beach, and the occasional caw of a bird from some far corner of the island. You dipped your boot-covered toe into the water, watching as the ripples quickly faded into the oncoming wave that washed upon the shore. This was something that you enjoyed… right? At least, that's what the others told you enjoyment would feel like if you still had a heart. At long last, after you had finished nearly all of the ice cream on the stick, you decided to break the silence.

"Hey, Zexion? I wanted to say thanks for training me these past few weeks. I know it may not mean much since we don't have hearts to feel appreciation, but… thanks."

"No, no, ( _ **Name**_ ). I assure you the gesture is much appreciated. Even if we're unable to show it, it's the thought behind such things that matters. And please, I don't deserve such thanks. I was simply doing as Lord Xemnas instructed me to do."

"That's not entirely true. You could have disobeyed him, or simply left me to learn on my own. Instead, you taught me all about my powers and how to control them. And, you and I had a bit of… fun? That's what it's called, right?"

Zexion looked rather perturbed for a moment, and then came to realize that you were speaking of the water events that had taken place yesterday. Yes, fun is what it would have been called if they still had their hearts- yet, even so, the Schemer knew that the smile that had been brought to his face yesterday was certainly not of his own doing. What brought such a thing about, and why had it happened without him willing it to?

"Yes, ( _ **Name**_ ). It's called fun. However, I'd recommend not partaking in such activities again in the future. I don't think Lord Xemnas would like hearing about us doing those things instead of training or completing our assigned missions."

You hummed quietly in reply to him, finishing off the last bit of ice cream that was left on your stick. You then placed it into your coat pocket before laying back against the docks, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes staring into the yellow, pink and orange-hued skies. What would it be like to be able to feel such emotions again? To be able to laugh all you'd like, and smile all the time? What would it be like to be able to experience anything at all, honestly? When you laughed the day before, you were left feeling like it had never happened once you returned back to the castle. Then, you also had to think about what you told Zexion about emotion- surely all of the Nobodies within the castle would simply be wandering around aimlessly like zombies if they didn't have any emotion, right? There were still so many unanswered questions that you had, and your mind simply wouldn't let you go a minute without thinking about them.

"( _ **Name**_ )… ( _ **Name**_ )?"

You quickly turned your attention to the man beside you, clearing your throat as you forced yourself to give a tiny, sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Zexion. I was a bit lost in my own thoughts again. I have a pretty bad habit of doing that as of late."

"As I've noticed. Might I inquire as to what those thoughts are, exactly?"

You hummed quietly, not quite sure whether or not you wanted to tell him about the thoughts you had been having. What if he thought you were no longer a suitable Nobody for the Organization? You had heard Xigbar talking to Xaldin about such things a few days ago, and that was something that you didn't want the other members to think of you at all.

"I… if I'm going to be honest with you, Zexion, my mind keeps conjuring up this thought that we Nobodies aren't without emotion like Lord Xemnas says. I mean, think about it. Why did I randomly laugh yesterday? And, as much as you don't want to hear me admit it, I saw that faint smile that you made, too."

You saw Zexion's gaze be drawn away from you nearly as soon as you finished your sentence, and he said nothing for quite some time. He then took a deep breath, and then finished off what little of his ice cream remained upon the stick in his gloved hand.

"I'm not supposed to tell you what I'm about to tell you, ( _ **Name**_ ). Though I have known you for only a few short weeks, your ideas and my own are far more alike than I'd ever hoped they'd be. I have never spoken to anyone about the information I am going to pass on to you, and you are not to breathe a word of it. Do you understand?"

You gave a small nod of your head, not entirely sure what he was about to tell you. He hadn't shared this information with anyone, which included his college in science, Vexen, so whatever it was had to be of utmost importance and secrecy.

"I have hypothesized a theory: one that involves the heart, the mind, and the memories of our past selves that we Nobodies possess. You are correct in the assumption that we Nobodies would be merely walking shells of skin and bone without emotion- which leads me back to my hypothesis. When a Nobody is created, the original owner of our heart was split into two separate beings- one being a Heartless, and the other being what we currently are, which is a Nobody. I believe that the heart leaves an imprint upon us when we are born again in these bodies in the form of our fragmented, past memories. We then use those memories to piece together who we once were, forming unique personalities of our own. My hypothesis is further proven when examining other members of our Organization: Xigbar is seemingly carefree and tends to act as though nothing bothers him at all. Xaldin is serious, reserved, and tends to avoid prolonged interaction with others at all costs due to him not wanting to develop relationships. Vexen is cocky, arrogant, and somewhat egotistical, especially when it comes to his research. I believe, that through the development of these unique personalities, the things that once allowed our human selves to 'feel' begin to show through in us as well, sometimes. Much like your laughter yesterday, ( _ **Name**_ )."

It took a moment for you to process all the new information that Zexion had given to you, but you soon came to understand exactly why he had refrained from explaining his theory to anyone else within the Organization. Xemnas was _very_ clear in his information that Nobodies _do not_ have emotion, and that anything you happened to express was merely of your own mere will- you were simply pretending that you had emotion to fill whatever void your lack of a heart had left within you. Should anyone else have found out about Zexion's theory, they might believe him to be turning away from their leader's words and orders, thus beginning to view him as a traitor.

"So… you mean that the laughter I experienced yesterday was… almost like a simulation of my past self?"

"No… not a simulation. More so an echo, if you wish to call it that. Almost as though our original selves begin to show through us for brief moments of time."

"I see. Does that mean that any emotion could eventually be shows through us? Like… what about hatred? Malice? And what about one of the most interesting of all the emotions?"

Your last sentence seemed to catch Zexion's attention a bit more, and he cocked his eyebrow slightly as his gaze was drawn back upon you.

"What emotion could that possibly be?"

"You know- the one that Vexen calls an "enigma." I believe that he referred to it as 'love' one day."

"Ah, yes. That feeling has been one that no science or research could ever bring a sound solution or resolution to. There is so much about it that is unknown, so Vexen has every right to refer to it as an enigma. I've been told several things about it, however. I suppose you could call them symptoms of love. You might often catch yourself staring at the person who has your interest- after all, our eyes are naturally drawn to what interests us the most. I've been told that you wake up with them on your mind in one way or another, as well. Again, these are things that aren't concrete, but I've been told such things before. Alongside overhearing it whenever I happen to traverse to Twilight Town. The teenagers there talk about it quite a bit."

"I see."

The two of you were quiet once again, and you gazed out over the orange-colored sea to watch the sun set over the horizon. Perhaps Zexion was right in his hypothesis- maybe the reason that you couldn't help but laugh at him the day before was because your previous self was simply showing through you and through your memories. You had brief visions in your head of things you know you had never seen, so you supposed those must be the "imprints" that Zexion referred to. Those were memories of whoever you were in your previous life, and unbeknownst to you until now, had helped form what you acted like in this new form. You felt Zexion's hand be placed upon your shoulder, and you looked over to see him rising to his feet.

"Come along, ( _ **Name**_ ). We must be getting back to the castle- it's getting rather late, and I needn't stress the necessity of rest again, do I?"

You shook your head, rising to your feet upon the docks. Once Zexion had summoned the portal back to the castle, you willingly followed him through it, the path closing effortlessly behind you.

Back on the beach, from one of the walkways high above the docks, a man clicked his tongue and hummed amusedly to himself.

"'No such thing will happen,' he said. As if."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : I don't believe that all the members of Organization XIII sleep in their coats- that would get rather uncomfortable rather quickly. I'm trying to take a more realistic approach to how they live.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : It has been stated that Demyx has a rather large fondness of his past memories, and in doing such, takes great pride in his sitar and making sure his hair is done correctly. Hence why he began to mumble about how his hair was messed up and needed to be fixed.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : I am well aware that the events taking place currently (the apprenticeship of ( _ **Name**_ ) under another Organization member, and sharing ice cream at the beaches of Destiny Islands) sound awfully familiar to the story in Kingdom Hearts 358 ½ Days between Roxas and Axel. However, this was not the intention. It was used as a way to display the growing bond between ( _ **Name**_ ) and Zexion, and I have/had no intention of drawing inspiration from 358 ½ Days. Small tidbits of information (such as Zexion stating other members of the Organization like Sea Salt Ice Cream and narrator stating that Zexion likes Destiny Islands due to the calm air surrounding it) were used in order to explain why these events are taking place the way they are.

 _Author's Note (4)_ : * _ **Small Story Spoiler Ahead**_ * In relation to Note #3, this is also the _only_ time that Zexion and ( _ **Name**_ ) will share ice cream together.


	5. Emotions

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

* _This is the point in the timeline where things will begin to become a bit altered. At this point, Sora has been turned into a Heartless, and Roxas has been born into the world. However, he has not been found by Xemnas_ _ **yet**_ _. This is a fair warning that from this point, the timeline will be altered and changed in order to make this work in a more story-like favor._

=13=

Over the course of the next few months, several other members of the Organization were found outside of the mansion gates in Twilight Town. Two more men, Luxord and Marluxia, and another woman named Larxene were added to the ranks of the Organization, thus bringing the number to thirteen. Within the meetings of the Organization, Xemnas had begun to mention an item known as the "Keyblade," and that only the Keyblade could collect hearts from fallen Heartless to form "Kingdom Hearts." Now that he had a decent number of Nobodies working under his command, Xemnas was very clear on his goal for both himself and those who served him- to form Kingdom Hearts and restore the hearts to the thirteen who served under him.

Now that Xemnas' ultimate goal had finally been revealed, the Nobodies who served him were more than happy (if possible) to oblige with the work that they were assigned- save Demyx, who often acted incredibly lazy and would prefer to lay around the castle rather than do whatever work he had been assigned for the day. On several occasions, after learning of the element you happened to control, he would come to you and ask you to give him any form of disease you could think of- as long as it didn't 'hurt him too much,' as he would say. You would tell him time and time again that bestowing diseases wasn't within your arsenal of Nether control, but he would just whine and wander off to finally take care of his mission for the day.

You had hoped to find a friend in Larxene, seeing as she was the only other female face you had seen in the Organization, but that idea was quickly tossed aside once you realized how sadistic she seemed to act. If Zexion's hypothesis held true, her original self must have been a rather interesting character to say the very least. Luxord, however, took a liking to you and often challenged you to gambling games late at night within the gathering area. Zexion would often oversee these small games, and more often than not, you lost. It was very seldom that Luxord lost, which allowed him to stay true to his title of The Gambler of Fate. If you were ever asked where all your Munny had gone, you would simply say to go and speak to Luxord about the answer to that question.

As for Marluxia, he was a rather elusive character when it came to wishing to speak with him. You often found him tending to several roses that he had within his room, but he didn't seem to speak much. It wasn't like he was rude or anything towards you however, he simply wasn't very talkative with you. The only person he seemed to take an interest talking continuously to was Larxene, which you found rather interesting considering her sadistic and often snarky personality.

Today, your leader was out of the castle. This was a very rare occasion, and as such, you weren't quite sure what to do with yourself. Your leader had left before any missions had been assigned, so you thought that today would be a good day to simply relax and rest. As such, you wandered the halls of the castle in an effort to find Zexion- maybe he would have a good idea as to what you could do since this was seemingly a day off. Upon reaching the door to the Schemer's room, you folded your fingers into the palm of your hand and gently rapped your knuckles upon the door. You didn't get any form of reply from inside, and you knocked again in case he hadn't heard for whatever reason. Upon receiving no reply once again, you slowly opened the door and poked your head inside, and came to find that no one was inside. You hummed quietly to yourself, shutting the door as you tried to think of where your mentor could be. Then, as if you could have thought of anywhere else, you knew exactly where he would be.

You brought your hand in front of you, making a portal within the hallway. Before you could walk into it, however, you felt a hand grab your shoulder and stop you. You hastily turned your attention to whoever was grabbing you, and sighed when you found that it was only Xigbar.

"Hey, kiddo. Where ya off to?"

"I'm… heading out for a bit. I figured since Lord Xemnas isn't around right now, and none of us were given any missions for the day, that I could just head out for a bit."

"I asked _where_ , kiddo."

"I'm just _going out_ , Xigbar. I assure you it's nowhere special."

He stopped his questioning and pestering, giving a small smirk as he let go of your shoulder. You forced a small smile before turning on your heel and heading through the void, making absolutely sure that it closed behind you. The way that Xigbar had begun to question you was rather odd, and you just wanted to get the thoughts off your mind for a while.

You ended up back on the islands, and you looked around for where your mentor might be. Sure enough, you saw him sitting on the edge of the smaller island that was connected via bridge to the main island. You made your way across the shifting sand, opening the door to the old shack and making your way up the stairs once you were inside. Once you were on higher ground, you crossed the wooden bridge to the smaller island, then proceeded to take a seat beside your mentor.

"How did I know you'd be here, Zexion?"

You saw him place something beside him rather quickly, and he cleared his throat before looking over at you. You cocked your eyebrow, your attention turning to whatever he had placed beside him.

"Hey, what was that?"

You reached over his lap, much to his objection, and grabbed the object within your hands. You found that it was a book- the entirety of it was black as ink, and on the cover were three intertwined Nobody symbols. You ran your fingers over the corners of the book that were covered in a smooth metal, and hummed softly upon noticing the wording under the three Nobody symbols.

" _Ignes Fatui_ … what does that mean, Zexion?"

He sighed quietly, gently taking the book from your grasp and looking over it once again.

"It's Latin, ( _ **Name**_ ). It means 'delusions.' This is my weapon, the Book of Retribution."

"Were you… reading it before I came over here?"

"Yes. My book is very *unique, ( _ **Name**_ ). Within it are stories from other worlds that change each day. The book re-writes itself, always allowing me to partake in a new story each day, should I so wish."

This answer interested you, and you leaned over against him to get a better look at the words upon the pages. He tensed up slightly at this, but eventually relaxed as he saw you take a deep interest in the words that were neatly written upon the pages of his book.

"I could read it to you, if you'd like me to. That way you don't have to strain yourself so much."

"You act as though I'm a child, Zexion. However, I suppose I wouldn't mind if you read some of it to me."

This was the first time that you ever heard him laugh. Well, it was more of a chuckle, but it was something that you never thought you'd hear from him. You glanced up at him, but he had already averted his gaze from you in an attempt to make it seem as though it hadn't happened. Each time that either of you did such things, it only made the both of you believe that his hypothesis about the emotions that you felt more and more true. By this point, you were nearly certain that he was correct. How else could you explain the laughter that left your lips? Or the excitement, at least that what you believed it to be, whenever you and Zexion were partaking in a mission together? For now, you were choosing to believe that his hypothesis was true… and that your emotions were a genuine echo of what your former self would have been like if she was in this scenario. You heard Zexion clear his throat, and then saw him place his finger near the top of the page to mark where he would begin to read.

*"Once upon a time," said Abraham Setrakian's grandmother, "there was a giant."

=13=

When Zexion finished the words of the story, he closed the book in his hands and sighed softly. Whatever this story was, he was curious as to what would happen next. This wasn't the first time his book had given him a multi-part story, and he knew that it would be continued the next day.

"Well, ( _ **Name**_ )? How did you like it?"

He received no response, and upon looking down at you, he immediately saw that you had fallen asleep upon his lap. He was unsure about what to do, but placed his book beside him in the sand and tried his best to stay still. In an effort to make your rest a bit more comfortable, he reached down and moved a few stray strands of hair away from your face. He himself had gotten used to such things since his right eye had been covered for as long as he could remember, but he knew that most people didn't care for it whilst they rested. You shifted slightly in response to this, but didn't wake from the slumber that had you within its grasp.

Zexion, now caught within his own thoughts, had several things running through his mind. Had this girl not come along, he believed that he would have stayed within his shell of self-consciousness- no, he knew that he would have. Becoming her mentor allowed him to express more of himself than he would have ever been able to before, especially since the other members of the Organization had little to no correlation with his thought process like she did. She took interest in his ideas and his hypotheses, which was something that Vexen simply mocked or neglected as though they didn't exist. She was his first real friend. She was one of the first things that he thought about in the mornings when he awoke- what would they be doing on their mission that day? Had she gotten adequate rest?

The Schemer was quickly drawn out of his thoughts when he felt you move upon his lap, and he glanced down to see you raise your arms above your head to stretch yourself out. You yawned, then brought your hand up to your eye and rubbed it slowly in an attempt to wake yourself up.

"I fell asleep, didn't I? I apologize, Zexion… I guess I didn't sleep much last night. We did stay out pretty late on our mission, after all."

"Don't fret, ( _ **Name**_ ). After all, you're correct when you say we did stay out rather late due to our mission. Should you be in need of more rest, I'd recommend that you return to base and recuperate within your room."

You shook your head, sitting up and running your fingers through the soft sand beneath your body. Several of the members often questioned why you didn't wear your gloves all the time- Vexen was especially adamant that you do, considering that he didn't want one of the Organization's greatest assets falling ill in a time of dire need. You simply didn't care to keep your skin covered. You wanted to feel the world around you- to feel what it would have felt back when you were originally human.

"( _ **Name**_ )… do you mind if I speak to you about something?"

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

Zexion stayed quiet for a moment, flipping through several pages of his book before coming to a halt at the very end- the page was blank, and nothing was written upon it like all the pages prior to it.

*"Xigbar spoke to me about something a while back- back when Marluxia was first recruited. Apparently, Lord Xemnas has been leaving more and more frequently to go to the Chamber of Repose. Xigbar, seeing as how he has a horrendous habit of eavesdropping, overheard him speaking to an entity that apparently does not exist. Who this entity is, I am uncertain. Such information has been rather troublesome lately, and I simply needed to relay the information to someone I could trust."

"Perhaps, much like us, Lord Xemnas needs time to himself, as well. Perhaps he is simply speaking to himself rather than a nonexistent entity as Xigbar seems to think. We cannot begin to make any assumptions, lest they be wrong in the end."

Zexion gave a quiet huff of breath, his blue eyes gazing out over the sea. He trusted his leader in his words and ways, and what he wanted to do for all of them was something that he desperately wanted. He wished for his heart back, so that this constant state of confusion about his small bursts of feeling would end. But, once he regained his heart, what would happen to the memories that he made whilst he was a Nobody? Would they simply vanish into nothingness and never be recovered? The memories of he and ( _ **Name**_ ) were something that he didn't wish to lose- so what was more important to him?

"Hey, Zexion."

He felt a nudge on his shoulder, which drew him yet again out of his thoughts. His attention was now turned on you, and you allowed yourself to give him a reassuring smile.

"Don't think about these things too much, yeah? You'll drive yourself mad doing that. And trust me, you don't want to end up like Vexen now, do you?"

There is was again- that chuckle that you had heard a while earlier. You liked hearing it, and you would have to make sure that you did what you could to make him do it again sometimes.

"Yes, I suppose that ending up like Vexen would be rather unfortunate. I would much rather be a quiet, introverted intellectual that maintains my sanity than an egotistical, greater-than-thou mad scientist."

That was it. That was what made the two of you laugh for the first time. It was no longer chuckles from Zexion, or giggles from you, this laughter was made in your core- it made its way up your body and out your lips, and you had to lean on Zexion's shoulder for a bit of support. This feeling, yes, feeling, was something that could not be described in words no matter how hard you might have tried. Hearing the Schemer, a normally quiet, secluded, intellectual man who wished for nothing more than his goals complete laugh was something that anyone else in the Organization would have immediately written off as an act of insanity. That, or they would have thought it a poor attempt at a 'joke' and ignored it altogether. There was absolutely no doubt between the two of you now that Zexion had been right about his hypothesis. Nobodies could feel, and they felt it all.

When the two of you finally finished, you moved yourself away from Zexion's shoulder and gave a long sigh. It took you a moment to be able to talk normally again, but it was worth it. The feeling of pure joy and happiness was something that you had longed to feel since you came into existence, and now, months later after joining the Organization, you finally did.

"Laughing suits you, Zexion. Believe it or not, it truly does."

The blue-haired man looked down at you, a small nod being given in reply to your words. Though he didn't wish to believe it himself, the concept of joy was something that he could most definitely get used to. Perhaps not all the time, since he still wished to maintain himself in an orderly manner, but around ( _ **Name**_ ) he would have no qualms with it.

The man brushed some of his hair away from his right eye, and then grabbed his book from the sand beside him. Rising to his feet, he gripped your hand and brought you up with him, saving you the effort of standing up yourself.

"Let us return to the castle, ( _ **Name**_ )."

=13=

When you had gone to your room to rest a while, Zexion decided it would be best if he happened to get a bit of rest as well. After all, there were bound to be more missions to take care of tomorrow, especially now that their full plan was in motion due to the Organization being near complete, if not completed already. The Schemer walked down the dim hallway, his book tucked underneath his arm as he neared his room. Before he had a chance to open the door, however, he was stopped by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder.

"Zexion."

Expecting the mocking tone of Vexen, the Schemer was quite relieved to hear the deep voice of Lexaeus instead. He turned to face the broad-shouldered man, and was greeted with a seemingly expressionless face.

"Yes, Lexaeus? Is something amiss?"

"You are playing a dangerous game."

It was very seldom that the large man spoke, but when he did, it typically meant that he was needing his point to get across further than it usually would with just a look he would give. Zexion moved away from Lexaeus's grip on his shoulder, blue eyes meeting with yet another pair of blue.

"I believe I can handle myself, Lexaeus. Besides, there is nothing to worry about here. I don't know what gave you the idea that there was."

The ginger-haired man gave a heavy sigh, his lips curling down a bit more into a slight frown. Zexion, in all honesty, wasn't quite sure what he was talking about when he mentioned a "game." There was nothing going on whatsoever, and his words were more confusing than they were helpful. The Schemer knew, however, that the Nobody was simply attempting to help in his own unique way.

"I appreciate whatever concern you are giving; however, I assure you that all is well, Lexaeus."

With that, Zexion turned and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him. The Stalwart stared at the door for a moment, and then turned his gaze to the floor beneath his feet.

"You're changing."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : This is another head-canon of mine about Zexion's Lexicon. Since little is known about the written contents within it, I believe it is constantly changing- hence why he is seen reading it so much in 358 ½ Days.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : This quote comes from the first novel of " _The Strain_ " by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro. I'm a big fan of the book series and television series, so I thought why not include a bit of it in here.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : This conversation is in reference to the secret scene from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. I'd highly recommend looking it up if you've never seen it before. It's a rather long exchange between Xigbar and Zexion about Xemnas and the Chamber of Repose, so it's pretty important.


	6. Heart

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

"No, this is ridiculous. Lord Xemnas assured me that there were only supposed to be _thirteen_ members in this Organization, and as such, we are just that! I do not see any reason why he is bringing a _child_ into our ranks!"

You awoke quickly to the sound of Vexen's voice from down the hallway in the gathering area. You threw off your covers, quickly undressing yourself of your sleep attire and throwing on your coat in order to look at least somewhat presentable, then hastily made your way over to your door and pulled it open. In an effort to quickly see what was going on, you ran into Zexion, who happened to be heading towards the gathering area as well.

"Ah, I see you were rudely awoken as well, yes?"

"Yeah… what's going on? Why is Vexen so upset?"

"You missed something rather important last night whilst you were within your slumber. Lord Xemnas brought another into our ranks- a young boy with the power to wield the Keyblade. His name is Roxas."

Now you understood why Vexen was so upset. Lord Xemnas had made mention of the Organization being complete a few days ago with the number of members being a solid thirteen, and as such, Vexen felt as though he was finally finished with his data collection duties. Now that another had been introduced to the ranks, there was more work left for him to do alongside his field missions that Xemnas was still assigning. It was rather selfish of him, you thought, since all of this work was going towards earning you back your hearts, but you understood his frustration. You were tired enough each day from doing your field missions- you could only imagine how tired the blonde scientist was with his duty of both field missions and data collection and monitorization.

"In light of this, his rather annoying outburst goes to further prove my point."

You looked up at the blue-haired man, whose hair was slightly more disheveled than normal due to Vexen's noise awaking him before he was ready. He still had not told anyone else other than you about his ideology, and the two of you had almost made a game out of commenting to one another when a member of the Organization displayed evidence of his hypothesis. Both of you knew by now that his assumption and hypothesis was correct, but of course, you could never reveal this information to anyone else within the Organization. If such information reached the ever-listening ears of Xemnas, there would be hell to pay for it.

As the two of you walked out into the gathering area, your eyes immediately fell upon a blonde-haired boy that seemed to be staring at Vexen, who was still continuing to express his displeasure. You tilted your head slightly, and noticed that his gaze happened to fall upon you for only a moment before returning to Vexen.

"I work far longer than any of the rest of you do, I'll have you know. I believe I have a right to be displeased with this event, Xigbar. Even if I already have gathered all his vital information, since I'm simply that brilliant of a scientist, the fact that I had to do such a thing after being told the Organization was complete is ridiculous."

"As if, Vexen. Maybe if ya wouldn't take up all the work alone you could have some more time to yourself. Zexion is always around to help ya, not to mention the kiddo probably knows enough from him to help ya, too."

You saw Xigbar look over at you, and Vexen's gaze soon followed. He scoffed, folding his arms across his chest as a scowl appeared upon his lips. If push came to shove, you were sure that you could help Vexen in his labs with whatever he needed.

"Ya know what? Yeah- that sounds like a good idea. Kiddo, you're gonna help Vexen in his lab work today. Screw goin' out on your field mission. I'll explain it to Xemnas."

Vexen stared at the Freeshooter with wide eyes, not believing what his ears had just heard. It wasn't like ( _ **Name**_ ) was trained or experienced working in a laboratory setting, nor had any idea of what work he was tasked with doing in there. Eventually, however, he simply gave up and stormed off down the hallway towards his lab once again. Xigbar rolled his visible eye at this, and then plopped down on one of the couches in the room.

"That guy has to learn to chill out… that shouldn't be an issue for him, considerin' he has the power of ice. Anyway, ( _ **Name**_ ), this is Roxas. Our new member. He's pretty important around here, especially since he's the only one that can use the weapon we need to complete Kingdom Hearts."

You walked over to the new boy, earning his attention for a little while. You gave a small wave of your hand, but got nearly nothing in response from him.

"Hello there, Roxas. I'm ( _ **Name**_ ). Welcome to the Organization."

Apparently, you didn't even warrant a hello from this new member- he simply kept staring at you, not saying anything at all. Xigbar took notice of this, and cleared his throat.

"Oh yeah, the kid doesn't seem to know how to speak yet. It's not like he's not hearin' ya, he just doesn't know what to say. Hopefully Axel can change that, seeing as how the kid has been placed under his care."

You nodded your head, and then gave Roxas as welcoming of a smile as you could muster before turning around and beginning to head back down the hallway towards Vexen's lab. You had to admit, you wondered whether or not he would accept your help, but this was your assignment for the day and you would do it.

"Don't fret, ( _ **Name**_ ). I can help wherever you might need it."

You figured that Zexion was going to come along with you, especially since you really didn't know much about lab work like Xigbar seemed to think you did. Just because you were under Zexion as an apprentice didn't mean that he shared what working in the laboratory was like. Upon reaching the door to Vexen's lab, you slowly opened the door and wandered inside.

"I will say this once, and once only. You do not touch anything without my permission."

Without looking up from his computer, Vexen had made his orders extremely clear. Everyone already knew that Vexen was extremely protective and precise with his data, so you knew better than to go around messing things up.

"Get over here and file these things for me, ( _ **Name**_ ). This is all information on the new boy, and I need every single bit of it in the correct spot, do you understand? It is imperative that you do this correctly."

The tone in his voice alone was more than enough to chill your body to the bone- it was no wonder why his title was The Chilly Academic. You sighed quietly, moving yourself over to his computer where he had previously been standing. Zexion, taking an interest in this, came to your side and looked at the screen in front of him. The files that you saw were all named precisely, such as ' _weight_ ,' ' _height_ ,' and ones that described the physical traits that this new member possessed, such as his blue eyes and blonde hair. These were placed in a folder that Vexen had created entitled ' _physical form_.' However, there were others that you weren't quite certain what to do with; these were files that, when opened, showed nothing but long lines of data that you had no idea how to decode.

"Vexen, what do you want me to do with these files? I honestly don't know where to put them, seeing as how they're just lines of code."

"Ah yes, I neglected to tell you about those. Should you happen to find files of that type, put them in the file labeled ' _RP_.' This is a special folder meant specifically for those types of files."

You glanced up at Zexion, who was still focused on the different files floating around on the screen.

"Do you know what that folder is, Zexion?"

He stayed silent for a while, and then shook his head.

"No."

The two of you continued to sort through the various files on Vexen's computer, and you were now much more aware of just how difficult his job truly was as data-gatherer for the Organization. Not only did he have to make each and every one of these files, but he had to sort them accordingly as well. You honestly couldn't imagine doing this for thirteen individual members of the Organization, let alone doing it once again when someone new came about like Roxas.

"Ah. It seems as though Lord Xemnas finally gave you his information, Vexen."

"Yes, yes. He came to me about a month ago and allowed me to collect his data. For what reason, I am unsure, but I am not going to argue against it. Now, keep doing what you've been doing and leave the other files alone."

Once again, you turned your attention to Zexion, making sure to speak under your breath so Vexen wouldn't become interested in what you were talking about.

"Lord Xemnas never let him have his data?"

"No. From the beginning, Lord Xemnas refused to have his data collected, whilst the rest of us were required to give up ours. I simply found it odd that Vexen had his data is all."

That was when your eyes fell upon the main file labeled "Xemnas" in the bottom right corner of the screen where the other member's information files were located as well. You scanned each one of them, stopping when you finally came upon your name. You gave a quick glance over your shoulder to see if Vexen was paying attention, and then opened it to see what was inside. A data chart was immediately brought up, holding your height, your weight, and detailed observations about your physical appearance.

' _Subject has been in a state of comatose for three days now. Vital signs are still normal, and all appears well. When she will awaken is unknown._ '

You sighed quietly as you read over these words. Though the thought of you being so different from the others was now gone from your mind, it still struck you as odd since you were the only one in the Organization to be in a state of comatose and be unable to speak properly upon waking up. Demyx, as you had seen when you and Zexion found him all those months ago, was able to speak perfectly fine even though he had only just come into existence. In all honesty, your scenario reminded you slightly of this new boy, Roxas.

' _Subject, now addressed by (_ _ **Name**_ _), has the ability of the Nether. Three distinct abilities have been observed thus far: amassing small parties of slain Pureblood Heartless by controlling their dark energy, increasing the rate of degeneration in objects, such as making trees rot within moments, and stealing the life force out of small creatures, such as fish and crabs._ '

"You were the one that wrote these entries, weren't you, Zexion?"

You saw him give a small nod of his head. You figured it had to have been him, since he had been the only one to truly witness what you had done on the day you discovered your powers. Since you had been under his tutelage, he had been working with Vexen a lot less, but you found it rather interesting to read whatever Zexion had written about you in your files.

' _(_ _ **Name**_ _) still shows significant progress in her growth. Her powers grow more and more each day, and she shows great potential as a member within this Organization. I'm certain Xemnas approves of her._ '

"What are you two doing over here?"

You hastily closed your file, then stood upright as to allow Vexen to see your handiwork. He gave you a distrusting glance, then looked over his computer to make sure that the two of you hadn't done the exact opposite of what he had commanded you to do. Once he had observed Roxas's file, he huffed quietly and moved away from the computer once again.

"Good. At least I know that you're capable of following basic instructions."

You wanted to respond to his rather rude remark, but you held your tongue. You knew it wouldn't be beneficial for you if you retorted with a comment of your own, and you certainly weren't in the mood to fight with another member of the Organization. Now you knew what Zexion had to deal with all the time.

"I'm going to my room. Good luck with whatever you have left to do, Vexen."

With those words, you turned on your heel and hastily walked out of the laboratory. Zexion gave a heavy sigh, then folded his arms across his chest as his blue eyes stared at the blonde across the room. He eventually took notice of this, and cocked his eyebrow.

"Why are you staring at me like some sort of lost puppy, Zexion?"

"I truly cannot understand why you act so egotistical, Vexen. Need I remind you that you didn't use to be like that? ( _ **Name**_ ) does not deserve your unjust disrespect; she does quite a lot for the Organization."

"You wish for me to sugar-coat everything then, Zexion?"

"No, I simply believe that you shouldn't treat those around you like nothing more than pawns under your fingers. You're rather lucky that you have people around you that are willing to put up with that ridiculous attitude of yours. I'd much rather be around the Vexen that cared about his colleagues and didn't treat them with such disrespect. I'd much rather be around *Even."

Zexion's words brought a scowl to the scientist's lips, and he glanced over at the door.

"Leave, Zexion. Now."

"Why? Are you that afraid to look back upon your past and realize that my words are correct? You and I both know that you were nothing like this in your former life."

"I am a Nobody now, Zexion! I cannot feel anything!"

Hearing the outburst from the blonde signaled Zexion to finally take his leave. He said nothing as he walked back to the entrance of the laboratory, and then pulled open the door as he readied to leave Vexen behind within.

"Perhaps you should analyze how you just reacted to my words, Vexen. Then perhaps you'll realize how wrong you are."

With that, the Schemer walked out of the lab, leaving the Academic by his lonesome once more.

=13=

A knock on your door made a soft hum pass your lips as you shifted slightly beneath your blanket. You didn't open your eyes, but you knew who had entered your room by how gently they shut your door whenever they came in. The only person who would let themselves into your room willingly and of their own accord was none other than your mentor.

"Before you ask, yes, I am fine. I simply needed to get away from him for a while."

You felt your bed shift a little, and you opened one eye slightly to see that Zexion had taken a seat at the end of it.

"He can be a little out of hand- no. He can be very out of hand at times. However, I took it upon myself to put him in his place before I left him in his laboratory. Should he bother you again, simply tell me and I shan't hesitate to take care of it."

You nodded, but didn't verbally answer him. Your eyes stared at the grey ceiling above your head, a soft and quiet sigh escaping your lips in the process of doing so. This caught Zexion's attention, and before he could inquire about it, you interrupted him.

"Zexion… you and I are friends, right?"

"Of course we are, ( _ **Name**_ ). The time we've known each other would show that we are far beyond the limit of being able to call each other that."

Why did hearing the word 'friend' make him tense? It's not like it was something that was new to him- he had considered you a friend for a very long time now. You and Lexaeus were the only two he called friends, so why, then, did it make his body react like this when he heard _you_ say it?

"I've been thinking a lot about what you told me a long time ago- you know, about that 'love' emotion. I remember that you told me about some of the symptoms someone could have if they were in love…"

"Yes, I remember this conversation."

Once more, he could feel his body tensing up without any known reason. What was this odd reaction, and what was the cause of it?

"I think that… maybe… never mind. You know what? Let's go to the islands again, Zexion. That seems to be the one place we can go to get away from all the people in here, so let's go. Maybe we can swim for a bit again."

Hearing you make this suggestion allowed his body to relax once more. He still wasn't sure why he had felt himself tense up whenever you mentioned love or called him a friend. This was the first time that such a thing had happened, and you had called him 'friend' many-a-time before. In an attempt to force the thoughts out of his mind, Zexion rose to his feet and summoned a portal for the two of you to traverse through.

"Perhaps not the islands, because I'd like to take you somewhere else today, ( _ **Name**_ ). It's a world that I recently discovered myself, and I'm not quite sure how many other members know about it. However, this world is a bit… special. You must take great care not to interact with any of the inhabitants there, lest they find out about the Organization."

You gave a nod of your head, and then followed him through the portal into this new world. However, the first thing that entered your vision upon leaving the void was the sight of countless twinkling stars. You felt your lips open slightly as you stared in wonder at this new world, or, the lack thereof.

"Ye got the makings of greatness in ye, but ye got to take the helm and chart yer own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls!"

Your attention was drawn below you, to where you could see two men standing upon the wooden deck of the ship Zexion had brought you onto. One was a larger man, the entire right side of his body seemingly made of metal- it was quite a sight to see his robotic arm and leg, but what caught your attention the most was his gleaming, mechanical eye. The boy he was talking to was a bit younger, his messy, brown hair tied back into a tiny ponytail atop the back of his head.

"And when the time comes when ye really get to test the cut of yer sails and show what yer made of… well… I hope I'm there… catchin' some of the light comin' off ye that day…"

You continued watching the pair, and saw that the younger boy had leaned forward into the larger man's middle- it was quite obvious the boy was upset, and it seemed as though the larger man wasn't quite sure how to react to the boy's actions. However, you watched as he eventually embraced the younger boy, which was something you took interest in. You remained quiet until both men left the deck, and then saw the light in the underside of the cabin eventually darken.

"As I said, ( _ **Name**_ )… this world is special. *I have come to learn that this ship is called _The Legacy_ , and the crew upon it are searching for another planet that contains monumental amounts of treasure. This world is not simply one world, it is many worlds all intertwined together. I found the sights here to be quite mesmerizing, and I believed that you would enjoy them, as well."

You gave a nod of your head, then glanced up to see a large net that lined both sides of the crow's nest you two were currently standing upon. On the upper level was a yardarm- one which you figured you could sit upon for an even better view of the never-ending stars. You hopped out from the crow's nest, grabbing hold of the netting and allowing yourself to get some secure footing before beginning to ascend up the crisscrossed rope. Once at the top, you carefully made your way to the end of the yardarm, then took a seat up it- this was a much better view, just as you'd hoped it would be. You saw Zexion eventually made his way beside you, and the two of you sat quietly, watching the wonders of space slowly glide past you as the ship drifted along.

"What you saw that man doing was something called a 'hug,' ( _ **Name**_ ). It's supposedly a sign of affection that can cause much comfort. I saw you give a look of confusion, so I figured I would elaborate a bit for you. There are also other signs of affection as well, such as kisses, that provide a sense of comfort, too."

"I know what the actions of intimacy are, Zexion. I… was just watching everything unfold, is all. You don't see Organization members hug each other, so it was something I wanted to watch."

Once again, the two of you were silent as you stared at the dark space all around you- the only light coming from the twinkling balls of light that were scattered and littered about the darkness. As nonchalantly as you could, you attempted to scoot yourself a bit closer to Zexion on the yardarm; thankfully, he didn't notice anything. After a few more minutes of silence, you cleared your throat and began to speak.

"There's something that I need to speak with you about, Zexion. It's been nagging at me for quite a while now, and I feel if I don't speak about it soon, it will continue to eat away at me."

"Feel free to speak freely about me, ( _ **Name**_ ). You should know by now that you are allowed to speak to me about anything at all."

You inhaled deeply, giving yourself a quick mental preparation for what you were about to say. However, when you opened your mouth to speak, you simply couldn't find it within yourself to say the words that you had so desperately wished to say. Instead, you thought of a slightly better way to convey exactly what you needed to.

"Give me your hand, Zexion."

Zexion seemed slightly confused at your command, but obeyed it nonetheless. Once you had your fingers wrapped around his hand, you sighed quietly and then gave him a slight smile.

"Now, do me another favor, and close your eyes. I'm… testing a hypothesis with a small experiment, per se."

Now that Zexion fully understood, or so he thought, he no longer felt confused by your commands and followed them immediately. Once his eyes had been closed, you used your free hand to brush the dangling strands of hair slightly out of his face. You then placed his hand right on the center of his chest, leaving it there for a moment- you then performed the final action that would complete your little experiment. The space between the two of you had been closed, and your lips had been tenderly pressed against his own.

And, underneath where Zexion's hand was currently pressed, moments after you had pressed your lips against his own, there was a light pulse.

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : In case my readers weren't aware, Even is the name that Vexen used before he was turned into a Nobody. It is his original, human name.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : The world that Zexion and ( _ **Name**_ ) arrive in is from the 2002 Disney film, _Treasure Planet_. If you haven't seen/heard of this movie, I beg of you to watch it. It's a lesser-known animated Disney film, but I assure you that it will be worth your while.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : Gentle reminder that ( _ **Name**_ ) has been with the Organization for months now- approximately 10, in my mind. She and Zexion have spent nearly every day together as well, so it's not like this process happened quickly. The timeline of Kingdom Hearts is rather difficult to work with at times, especially since the events of the original Kingdom Hearts apparently managed to take place all in _**less than a year**_ , and I'm taking into consideration the amount of time it would have _really_ taken for Organization XIII to form. I simply can't believe the members simply appeared in a matter of weeks, so I'm bending time a bit. Currently, the timeline is nearing the beginning of the Castle Oblivion arc. More will be said about this in coming chapters.

 _Author's Note (4)_ : Some might notice Zexion's speaking is becoming less 'nerdy' sounding, per se. This is because he is growing more and more comfortable talking casually around ( _ **Name**_ ), just like a typical friendship would go in real life.


	7. Certainty

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

"My Lord, you summoned me?"

The Diviner gazed around the empty, white room- each chair was void of any Nobody that would typically be sitting within them, aside from the silver-haired leader whom had summoned him within The Round Room. Once he had his fill of the scarcely-populated area, he turned his attention to Xemnas, who was seemingly deep in thought as he sat upon his throne.

"Indeed. I wish to know the status of the information you brought to me- the information involving Castle Oblivion's master, Marluxia."

"Yes, my Lord. *Marluxia is still planning a * _coup d'etat_ with his partner, Larxene- they plan to use Naminé and her power over Sora's memory to manipulate him and dethrone you. The Dusks have continued providing the same information about them, so it seems naught has changed."

"And what of the replicas Vexen was tasked with creating? Has he had any form of luck in doing so?"

"Yes, my Lord. Vexen has successfully used the fragments of Sora's memory to create our fail-safe. Though he seemed displeased with your action of bringing another member into the Organization, it was nothing more than a simple show- he has completed his task of creating a Keyblade wielder, alongside replicating Sora's friend."

A deep hum left the leader's lips, and he seemed to relax slightly upon his throne. He had been rather distraught about the process and progress of the Replica Program, and knowing that his plan was now steadily moving forward was a welcomed relief. However, there was now another problem that stood in his path, and he was unsure of how to handle such a thing. All was silent for a few moments whilst the leader thought, and then the silence was finally broken.

"I am offering you the chance to aid me in a decision, Saïx. What do you propose should be done about the current issue at hand?"

"Well, my Lord, I believe that we could send the members we spoke of to Castle Oblivion sooner than we planned. Xigbar has been scouting the location and progress of Sora, and he is currently _en route_ to Castle Oblivion, should he receive… guidance on how to reach it. I don't believe it would harm your goal to proceed with Sora's capture slightly ahead of schedule."

Yet another hum of thought passed Xemnas's lips, and he inhaled deeply before thinking the words his underling had spoken to him. He knew that Marluxia and Larxene must be eliminated- any who opposed his plans would meet such an end. And, now that his other half had been defeated by the Keyblade bearer, it would seem to be the perfect opportunity to put Naminé to good use. With these thoughts in mind, the silver-haired man finally came to a sound conclusion.

"I agree with your suggestion, Saïx. Inform the members we spoke of that they are to report to Castle Oblivion tomorrow morning. Do take care to inform Axel of his responsibility in dealing with Marluxia and Larxene."

"Yes- right away, my Lord."

Before the Diviner could leave The Round Room, however, he was stopped one final time by his leader.

"Also… be sure that ( _ **Name**_ ) goes as well."

=13=

"There is nothing more perplexing than this phenomenon we have discovered, ( _ **Name**_ ). It goes against all that we have been told as Nobodies- we simply cannot ever have hearts without the completion of Kingdom Hearts. However, this discovery is absolutely astounding. It seems to completely toss aside that assumption, and show that Nobodies can regain their hearts over time."

Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes watched the Schemer as he hastily jotted down some notes within a small notebook he had upon his desk, (you had come to find that his room was seemingly one of the only ones that had more furniture than a simple bed) and then sighed heavily as he shut the cover once he had finished writing. He opened his coat, placing the notebook within a small pocket found near the breast, and then sat down upon his bed.

"It's simply baffling how such a simple action brought about such an amazing discovery. Perhaps if I experimented with this more, I could find out what exactly allows Nobodies to regain their hearts- is it something that happens the longer they remain in existence? Or perhaps there is certain criteria that must be met before a Nobody can begin to regain their heart. However, that brings about another question- is the criteria specific to each Nobody, or is it something that remains constant across all human-based Nobodies?"

"Zexion-"

The man stopped his constant theories for a moment, watching as you came to sit beside him upon his bed. You took a deep breath, and then gave him a small smile.

"First, it wasn't a 'simple' action… believe me. Second, take a break from trying to figure this out, alright? You've been going at it for two days now… ever since we left _The Legacy_."

Zexion stayed quiet for a moment, and then gave a small nod of his head. He knew that his words had been wrong- your action hadn't been easy, especially if you felt it as you had been feeling everything else whenever the two of you were together. The emotion was… embarrassment, right? He himself had felt such a thing when you did what you had done- and if he was honest, he wished that such a thing would happen once more. Then, a small idea happened to come to his mind.

"( _ **Name**_ )… would you mind if I did just one more experiment? All I ask is one more- it will take only a moment. Then, on my honor as an academic, I will cease my experiments and take leave from them."

You gave a soft sigh, and then nodded your head. What would one more small experiment hurt?

"Thank you. Now, I ask that you close your eyes for me- nothing more, and nothing less."

You cocked your eyebrow slightly, but heeded his command nonetheless. The Schemer waved his hand slightly in front of your eyes to make sure they were closed completely, and then braced himself for what he was about to do. He hesitantly began to close the space between the two of you, but immediately moved away upon hearing his door open. He hastily rose to his feet, and you turned your attention to the door- thankfully before the Diviner walked inside.

"Zexion, I have orders from- ah. ( _ **Name**_ )."

His steely, yellow eyes stared endlessly at you- there was no emotion, not even feigned emotion, to be found within them. They were cold and unfeeling, just like the man they belonged to.

"Fortunate that I happened upon the two of you in the same room. Both of you are to report to Castle Oblivion in the morning- congratulations, Zexion… you and Vexen are about to put that Replica Program of yours to good use."

Without another word, the blue-haired Nobody swiftly exited the room and shut the door behind him. His words would have normally been just another order to you, however, the last bit caught your attention. You furrowed your brows slightly before rising to your feet, then turned your attention to the man still standing alongside you.

"Replica Program? What is the- wait a minute."

The file upon Vexen's computer labeled " _RP_ " suddenly happened to flash within your mind, and you immediately knew what it represented.

"Zexion, you knew about the project all along, didn't you? You told me that you knew nothing about it when I asked in Vexen's lab... you lied to me."

"No, ( _ **Name**_ ). I beg that you listen to me. I simply didn't wish to involve you in the work that we were doing. This project is something that you don't want to be involved with, I assure you. It would cause you more harm than good, and-"

"Zexion, I don't care about what it would have done. I care about the fact that you lied to me about it- I care about the fact that I helped abuse Roxas and whatever data Vexen took from him. What is he planning on using Roxas's data for, hmm? Or has whatever it was already been done?"

The Schemer sighed heavily, his gaze dropping to the colorless floor beneath his feet. If he involved you in this, there would be unforeseen consequences to surely follow- the last thing he desired was you getting hurt or into trouble for his mistake, but he also knew that continuing to lie to you and withhold information was unwise.

"There is a great deal that you have not been told, ( _ **Name**_ ). Please… I ask that you allow me to atone for my mistake and tell you everything you need to know. I will hold no information from you, this I swear."

You were honestly unsure of whether to not you wanted to hear him out- you were upset that you were involved in using Roxas's data for this Program, and you were upset that Zexion had lied to you and kept something so important from you this entire time. However, there was also a part of you that wouldn't allow you to shove him off so easily, and that part eventually overtook you and brought you back upon the end of his bed.

"Fine… tell me."

=13=

"…and that's everything there is to tell you, ( _ **Name**_ ). It's quite a lot."

Naminé, Sora, Riku, and Castle Oblivion. You were attempting to comprehend all that he had told you- Naminé was in charge of Sora's memories, and had the ability to change and alter them to her will. Sora was a Keyblade wielder, whom Xemnas needed in order to complete Kingdom Hearts, much like Roxas. However, this boy also posed a large threat to the Organization and its goal at the same time. Riku was Sora's best friend, and Vexen and Zexion had re-created a version of him using the Replica Program. And that was only the beginning of all that he had told you- it was honestly rather disturbing just how much information had been kept from you not only by Zexion, but by the Organization in general.

You stayed silent, which made the Schemer sigh quietly. He knew that you were attempting to comprehend what he had told you, and that you were upset at him for keeping this information from you for so long.

"There's also something else I need to tell you. Vexen and I have growing suspicion of Saïx- as I said before, there are dark things going on within the Organization, ( _ **Name**_ ). I feel that he is planning something against the Organization's interests. Why we have this suspicion? We are honestly unsure. I suppose it's a form of intuition."

"I see."

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath before looking over at your long-time partner.

"I apologize for getting upset. I also thank you for being sincere with me this time, Zexion. I know you kept this from me for my own interest, so thank you."

In an attempt to clear the mood, you forced a small smile and rose to your feet.

"Well… I suppose I should go and get ready for tomorrow then. Perhaps we could go back to the islands or _The Legacy_ tonight. That would be nice, hmm? We could get one last visit in before we go on this mission. After all, we don't know how long we'll be there."

"A-ah, yes. I suppose we could do that later. Choose which one you'd like to go to the most, and we'll go there. I'll… see you later then, ( _ **Name**_ )."

The Schemer watched as you walked out of his room, and you carefully shut his door behind you. Once you were gone, he gave a quiet sigh and laid back on his bed. This was a feeling that was unmistakable, and horrible at the same time- guilt.

=13=

"I have to say, I'm honestly rather surprised that you chose to come back to the islands, ( _ **Name**_ ). We've been here many times, and you've only seen _The Legacy_ once."

" _The Legacy_ has a beautiful view, but the islands mean more to me. I don't know when we'll be able to see them again, since we're going to Castle Oblivion and all, so I wanted to come back one last time."

The two of you were currently sitting on the docks, your bare feet dangling into the chilly water beneath you. The water was something that always relaxed you, and you would be without it for quite some time.

"The islands are special to you, are they? And why is that?"

"An intellectual like you should be able to realize that answer, Zexion. It's… where we always go together. All of my memories, the ones that are currently most important to me, were made here. You taught me how to manage my powers here, you spent nearly all your time with me here, and… it's just the place that means the most to me for that reason. I know my memories of who I used to be are supposed to be the most important thing, but they're not- everything that we've done together? _Those_ memories are what matter most to me."

Your words honestly brought a sense of relief over the Schemer, and it was nice to know that the memories he had made with you were the most important thing to you. The rest of Organization XIII clung to their original memories without wavering, but you were different. You rarely spoke of your old self, or any memories you possessed of back then- everything you spoke of had to do with things the two of you had done, or things you knew would interest the academic. However, there was still a steadily-growing feeling that something was going to happen at Castle Oblivion, and the Schemer didn't like it.

"( _ **Name**_ )?"

"Hmm?"

You turned your head to give him your full attention, but were greeted instead by a pair of gloved hands coming to rest on your cheeks. You swallowed, unsure of what your long-time mentor was doing, but that question was soon answered- as you had done two days earlier, he tenderly pressed his lips against yours. He had only intended the action to be for a moment, but when he felt you lean into it ever-so-slightly, he made a subconscious choice to continue it for a while longer.

There it was, just as he had thought… the very faint, almost unnoticeable pulse within his chest. He was absolutely sure of it now- Nobodies could regain their hearts. He currently didn't care how or why; all that mattered was that it was because of you. He finally decided to move himself away from you, and you felt a heat arise in your cheeks as he continued to look at you. It grew unbearable, and you glanced away in a feeble attempt to hide yourself from him.

"I've been wanting to test it myself… to see if I was right. I've had these thoughts for such a long time, however, I was unsure if they were ready to be expressed or not. Now, I feel like I must express them to you, ( _ **Name**_ ). You mean more to me than all others within the Organization, and everything that you have taught shadows everything I thought I knew."

He brought his arms around you, pulling you against his body as he brought his chin to rest gently atop your head.

"I am absolutely certain of it now, ( _ **Name**_ ). Against all odds, against everything I ever thought to be possible… I have fallen in love with you."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : I believe Xemnas to have known about Marluxia and Larxene's betrayal before sending them to Castle Oblivion. It is made out to be that he found out after they went, however, I truly believe he was aware of such acts before sending them off.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : _Coup d'etat_ – overthrowing a higher power; in this case, lower members planning to overthrow the Organization's leader.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : The process of a Nobody regaining their heart is entirely my own head-canon. It has never been shown/stated what happens or the physical effects of a Nobody regaining their heart, so everything happening to ( _ **Name**_ ) and Zexion is entirely non-canon. The only thing that is canon is that Nobodies can regain their hearts- it's just unclear what happens to them when it occurs.


	8. Arrival

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

"I assure you, the castle is much more appealing in terms of light on the upper floors, ( _ **Name**_ ). It is much darker down here than it is up there- however, Marluxia is in charge of this domain, and as such, we are left to tend to the castle's basement floors."

"Quiet, Zexion. We have other matters to attend to. I must return to my laboratory here within the castle… otherwise, how am I to make progress with our Program?"

You watched as the blonde-haired man turned on his heel, is coat fluttering behind him as he wandered off down the stairs to the basement floor below. Though you hadn't seen much of the castle for yourself thanks to Marluxia, you assumed that it was similar to the basement floors in design. Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes wandered the dark room, seeing several pedestals lining the walls- naught much else was to be seen, but this was mostly due to how the castle functioned. Zexion had spoken about how the castle was used as a place of examining and studying how memories worked when he had openly admitted everything to you the day before, and that the castle was, somehow, attuned to said memories.

You heard a deep hum come from your right, and you glanced over at the large, ginger-haired man that had accompanied you and the others in your coming to Castle Oblivion. He had his arms folded across his chest, his eyes closed as he seemed to be deep within his own thoughts. You stood within the quiet that had enveloped the three of you, not speaking, until he finally opened his eyes and broke his silence.

"Zexion- I take it that you sense the unease within this place as well?"

Hearing the Stalwart's deep voice was something that you certainly weren't accustomed to. Throughout all the time that you had already spent within the Organization, you could count on one hand how many times you had actually heard him speak. However, his choice of words intrigued you- did he truly sense something amiss within the castle? And, was Zexion aware of such a thing as well?

"Yes, Lexaeus. I sense a constant feeling of unease here. I don't dare to begin throwing around accusations, but I believe this feeling to be coming from a certain duo running the upper floors. And then there's Axel…"

*"Yes- who knows what that one is thinking."

As much as you wished to think that both Lexaeus and Zexion were simply unnerved due to being away from the base, you couldn't help but notice that there was a certain air within this place that concerned you. Surely it was just your nerves, seeing as how this was the first time you had been sent away from the base for more than a day, but what if it happened to be something more than that? No- you couldn't start making yourself more uneasy than you already were. That would only bring trouble, especially if something were to happen.

"Zexion, what are we to do whilst we're here? Surely Lord Xemnas didn't expect us to sit here and twiddle our thumbs, did he?"

The Schemer looked down at you, and then hummed softly in response. In all honesty, Vexen would most likely take care of the work from here, especially since it was more his area of expertise to begin with. Not to mention the Academic was certainly not the type to have helpers within his laboratory unless absolutely necessary, so Zexion saw no point in even attempting to help him in his endeavors. However, these thoughts were quickly changed when Vexen came wandering back into the room, a rather perturbed look upon his face.

"( _ **Name**_ ), come to the laboratory with me. I'm in need of your assistance, as much as I dislike admitting such a thing."

You were rather confused as to why he would need your help, but you gave a nod of your head before striding over beside him and earning a very forced smile from him. You mentally rolled your eyes, especially since you were being rather kind in helping him in the first place- you could have just as easily said no and stayed by Zexion's side. Both the Schemer and Stalwart watched as the two of you walked off into the darkness of the basement, and then the ginger-haired man gave a deep sigh.

"I'll repeat myself, Zexion. You are wading into dangerous waters."

"I have no idea what you're talking abo-"

"You told her that you love her."

The Schemer nearly choked on his words- how had Lexaeus come to know about something like that? He had been absolutely certain that no one knew about *their more intimate meetings on the islands, nor the one time they went to _The Legacy_. His blue eyes stared up at the Stalwart, and yet again, the ginger gave a heavy sigh before reaching into the breast pocket of his cloak. From within, he pulled out Zexion's small journal that he typically kept within his coat.

"I found this in the hallway back at the base yesterday evening. I had no intention of reading it since it was your personal journal, however, I happened to skim the page it was opened to when I picked it up. You're quite lucky that I was the one who happened upon this, and not someone like Xigbar or Lord Xemnas himself."

Zexion closed his eyes, a soft sigh leaving his lips as he did so. There was no use in hiding it now- not that Lexaeus had found out about it. Besides, he was right in his words- Zexion trusted the Stalwart more than he trusted any other member within the Organization. Taking a deep breath, the Schemer gave a slow nod of his head before beginning to speak.

"I believe that I know what I'm doing, Lexaeus. I understand that you're concerned about my actions, but-"

"I'm happy for you."

Once more, the Nobody was stopped in his tracks. He looked up at the ginger in confusion, and saw the faintest of smiles run hastily across his lips before they returned to their normal look of solemnness. This was something that he himself had only seen once before, and that in and of itself said something to him. Lexaeus placed the notebook into Zexion's pocket, then cleared his throat.

"You might not understand why, but you are my friend, Zexion. Though we are Nobodies, and though I cannot feel what you can, I always figured it would be you that pulled through and unlocked the secrets of Nobodies. While Vexen might be smart, your mind is more intellectually sound- not to mention you aren't fueled by a large ego."

Zexion hummed softly in response to the words of the fellow Organization member, but now that Lexaeus had spoken his thoughts on the relationship that he and ( _ **Name**_ ) had, there was something even darker that seemed to loom over the room. It wasn't emitting from Lexaeus, but rather coming from somewhere else within the castle- the stench of darkness reeked within these walls, and it was growing more and more noticeable as time passed. There was something much larger going on here, and Zexion was now hellbent on figuring out exactly what it was.

=13=

You were now standing in front of a large computer monitor, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes wandering across it to see several bars that were constantly fluctuating in size- these were accompanied by several numbers that changed every so often as well. The room that Vexen had brought you to was somewhere that was seemingly inaccessible by any who entered without prior knowledge of this laboratory, so you weren't worried about anyone coming in when they shouldn't- this would keep prying eyes away from whatever it was you were looking over, and whatever else happened to be within this lab of Vexen's.

"I need you to make sure that those numbers stay within this range, ( _ **Name**_ ). If they grow larger, or smaller, alert me immediately."

You watched as Vexen scribbled some numbers down onto a small notepad that was upon the desk that housed the computer monitor, and then turn on his heel and hastily make his way across the room to a large container. You turned your attention away from the blonde, however, and placed it upon the machine in front of you- now that you looked once again, you saw that there was a small image of what looked to be someone's body displayed on the left side of all the data. However, the image was rather small, so you couldn't quite make out whoever it was supposed to be.

"Vexen, what is all this data for, anyway?"

"Must you ask needless questions, ( _ **Name**_ )? I understand that my work can be captivating, but I simply must focus on finalizing this. I have a feeling we shall be needing it sooner than later."

You huffed quietly, pursing your lower lip as you furrowed your brows slightly. For once, you wished that Vexen could just answer your question rather than give some form of snarky reply like the one you just received. You turned your eyes back to the data on the screen, watching the numbers slowly change about every forty-five to fifty seconds or so. You pulled up a chair from the side of the desk, giving a quiet yawn as you sat down upon it- no use in not taking advantage of it since it was in the room. After all, standing for long periods of time could be rather tiring, especially when you were doing nothing more than watching numbers upon a screen change every now and again.

You could hear Vexen messing with something behind you, but when you glanced over your shoulder, his back was turned and you were unable to see what exactly he was messing with. You gave a quiet sigh, and then leaned back against the chair as you attempted to get into a more comfortable position.

"Ugh… I need more data than what I have. This is most unfortunate."

Vexen's mumbling caught your attention, and you cocked your eyebrow as you turned the chair to face him. Though you were supposed to be watching the numbers upon the screen, they were relatively normal, and you decided you could take a few moments away from them.

"Vexen, just give me a straight answer for once. What exactly is going on here?"

You saw the scientist's shoulders rise as he took a deep breath, and then fall as he let out a long, overly-exaggerated sigh.

"I know that Zexion told you most everything you needed to know, however, there are a few things that need to be examined further. This castle is a place where he and I have been examining the power of memories, and as you surely know by now, this is no ordinary castle. The rooms are all the same on every floor, except for when you have one of these."

You saw him turn around, your eyes falling upon a bright blue card within his gloved fingers. You cocked your head a bit, seeing that the card had a picture plastered upon the front of it.

"These are cards that were created using Sora's memories. Sora, as you know, is a great asset that the Organization is in desperate need of. However, as I was saying earlier, these cards grant access to the worlds and various places that he has been within his memories. We won't be using them, however. These are purely for Sora's use alone… and I unfortunately had to give the full set of Sora's memories over to Marluxia upon entering the castle."

Vexen's last words were nearly spit through his lips. You knew that he had a large disliking for Marluxia, but they were all in the Organization, so they had to somehow get along. After all, the Organization is what brought them together in the first place. He leaned his head back slightly, strands of his blonde hair falling behind his shoulders as he did so, and then gave a low sigh before folding his arms across his chest.

"Tell me, ( _ **Name**_ ), for I am most curious- do you believe that the Organization's overall goal is what it is made out to be? In other words, do you believe Lord Xemnas's words when he says we shall regain our hearts once Kingdom Hearts in completed?"

This was a rather odd question to hear, especially coming from someone like Vexen. He had always been working towards the Organization's goal of completing Kingdom Hearts without wavering, so hearing what sounded like doubt coming from his lips was rather… unnerving, if you were honest. You cleared your throat, glancing back at the numbers on the screen behind you before beginning to answer his question.

"I believe that Lord Xemnas has our best interests in mind, yes."

"That wasn't what I asked, ( _ **Name**_ )."

You sighed deeply- what were you supposed to say to him at this point? You hadn't told a soul about what you and Zexion had discovered, and you definitely hadn't told anyone about the emotions that you felt between the two of you. You knew that you could trust Vexen, but what you didn't know was how he would react if you told him about everything that you and Zexion knew about Nobodies and their ability to seemingly regain their hearts. You finally decided to part your lips to reply to him, but you were stopped when a voice spoke from the entrance to the room.

"The Superior is wrong about Kingdom Hearts, Vexen."

Both you and Vexen turned your attention to the doorway, where a certain blue-haired member was currently leaning against the doorframe. He said nothing after this as he walked into the room- you noticed that Lexaeus entered the room almost immediately after, and you wondered what exactly was about to happen. Zexion took his place by your side, placing his hand on your shoulder and giving a reassuring look in your direction.

"He and the other members of the Organization believe that completing Kingdom Hearts will return our hearts and make us whole again. However, judging by your question that you asked to ( _ **Name**_ ), you and I both know that this theory is incorrect. It has been almost a year since our Organization was founded, and nearly the same time that ( _ **Name**_ ) and I have been partners. Throughout that time, she and I discovered that our hearts are, in fact, capable of being regained."

The Schemer glanced over at Vexen, who was currently cocking his eyebrow as his mind attempted to process all that Zexion had just said.

"And just how have you managed to figure this out, Zexion?"

"You doubt my words, yes? It wouldn't be you if you didn't doubt me, Vexen. However, as ( _ **Name**_ ) and I spent more and more time together, we began to feel things again- at least, that's the conclusion we came to since we only had our memories of our former selves to rely on. We remembered what it was like to 'feel' things in our past lives, and those emotions began to manifest themselves through us, even though we supposedly have no hearts. ( _ **Name**_ ) was actually the first to notice this, so I don't dare take all the credit for this discovery. We would find the urge to laugh, or we would smile without having to force it as we normally did before her arrival to the Organization. This, as you know, is unnatural for beings who are supposedly incapable of feeling anything."

As Zexion stopped speaking, the room was entirely silent. Vexen was still attempting to piece together everything that Zexion was saying- not the mention that he was growing rather irritated that such a large discovery was made by someone other than himself. But, the more he thought about it, Zexion's theory did make sense- it didn't help that his growing anger and envy were large pieces of evidence that his words were true.

"If this is true, Zexion, the Superior must know about-"

"No. You absolutely cannot tell the Superior, or any of the other members. Do you understand? Lord Xemnas must have no knowledge that we know about this… I fear that he might believe us to be revolting against the Organization's interests and take action against us. For now, this information stays between the four of us, and the four of us alone. Do I make myself clear, Vexen?"

Vexen was rather surprised by the sternness of Zexion's words. Typically, he was very quiet and reserved- hearing such a direct command come from him meant that this was something that wasn't meant to be taken lightly.

"…as you wish, Zexion. However, this brings about another question. How do the rest of the Nobodies regain their hearts, hmm? For example, how would one such as myself begin to regain my heart?"

"That is something that I have yet to figure out. I'm assuming that it has something to do with the connections we form throughout our lives- both our former lives, and the ones we are currently living. However, I don't truly believe that we are born entirely emotionless. Vexen, and I mean this with the greatest possible respect, you have been egotistical since the day the original six founded Organization XIII. You are quick to anger, and have a rather short fuse- this is especially true whenever it comes to your lab work. Now, tell me, how could this be if you were born into this world without a heart? It makes no sense if you think about it logically."

Vexen huffed quietly, but he knew Zexion's words to be true. Since he himself was a logical thinker, it didn't make sense that he was so quick to anger if he was truly without a heart. And, on top of that, his emotion wasn't feigned whenever he got upset- it was something that just happened. However, before Vexen could reply to him, the Schemer began to speak one more time.

*"I also come with a new update. Marluxia has successfully lured Sora into Castle Oblivion."

This information made Vexen rather interested, and he turned around to face the large container that was in front of him. He ran his hand along the glass, ridding it of the frost that had formed there since the liquid contained within was rather cold, and hummed softly to himself. You were still unable to see what was inside the tank, but you knew that it must have been something of importance- and that it was most likely related to the data you had been in charge of watching over when Vexen first brought you into the laboratory.

"Wonderful… now the fun can truly begin."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : If you've played RE: Chain of Memories, you'll notice that this choice of words from Lexaeus was nearly the same as in the cutscene with him and Zexion. These will be scattered throughout the next few chapters, since I am, again, attempting to keep this as close to canon as I possibly can. I'm not trying to alter the whole timeline, here. (Though it already feels like that, at this point).

 _Author's Note (2):_ The "intimate" meetings on the islands were the ones that were kept secret from the other Organization members. This does not include when ( _ **Name**_ ) and Zexion came back drenched from the islands, nor the time that Xigbar followed them to see what was going on between them earlier on in the story. Specifically, the "intimate" meetings he himself is speaking of are the ones where they acted upon their emotions more, such as when he read to ( _ **Name**_ ) from his Lexicon, or the night before they left for Castle Oblivion and he shared a kiss with her.

 _Author's Note (3):_ Again, this is a slightly altered timeline. In the original CoM timeline, Vexen is the one who informs Zexion and Lexaeus about Sora entering the castle. In my version, I altered this to where Zexion senses Sora's scent upon his entry to the castle (Zexion is keen on scents; this is canon) and tells Vexen and the others about it. This is intentional.

 _Author's Note (4):_ Some might be wondering how Zexion knew about Destiny Islands before CoM, (since this is where he took ( _ **Name**_ ) all the time) since it was shown in one of the cutscenes that he obtains the card of Destiny Islands from Axel. This is because the cards in Castle Oblivion are made of data obtained from memories- memories from Sora and Riku, to be precise. This means that he could have known about the world long before CoM, since the representation of Destiny Islands within the Castle is only a reconstruction of memories obtained from the two heroes. It's a personal idea of mine that the members of Organization XIII (as shown in 358 ½ Days) know about the many existing worlds, and most likely know of more than what has been shown to us in the games.


	9. Need

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

*Over the course of the next two weeks, you and your three partners on the lower levels of the castle watched what began to unfold upon the upper floors. According to Vexen, whom was carefully spying upon the younger members of the Organization, Marluxia was now working against the Organization's best interests and attempting to meddle with Sora's memories for his own personal gain; working alongside him was none other than Larxene, which honestly came as no surprise to you. They had, after all, been rather close before you all had left the base to come to the castle. However, as the four of you all knew, working against the Organization was a blatant death wish.

Currently, you were listening to Vexen brood over the fact that Naminé had re-written his precious experiment's memories- speaking of that experiment, that was something that you weren't sure how to feel about. Riku, a young boy that you knew to be Sora's best friend, had appeared within the castle basements only days earlier- Vexen took the time to obtain data from him, and using that data, he created a perfect replica of the young boy that he had since been using to do his dirty work. You sighed heavily and rose to your feet from your chair, bringing your hand to rest upon your hip as you stared at the blonde scientist.

"Vexen, listening to you brood for years truly is exciting, but there are other things we need to focus on right now, yes? After all, you were there when they suggested his memories be re-written… so you can't really complain when you did nothing to stop it."

Your words earned you a hard glare from the scientist, but you honestly didn't care. You knew your words to be true, and you were much more concerned with the fact that two of the Organization members were working against your leader- perhaps three, since you and the others were currently unaware of Axel's siding in all of this. You leaned against the wall now, bringing your arms up and folding them neatly across your chest. After doing so, you inhaled deeply and allowed your breath to seep slowly through your lips.

"Look… I understand that you need your replica. However, we need to stop Marluxia and Larxene. I highly suggest we don't confront them head-on, especially since you've been spying on them this entire time, Vexen. How do you think they would react if they found out?"

The scientist scoffed, moving a few stray strands of hair away from his face before taking a seat upon a chair within the laboratory. The lab had become a meeting place for the four of you, but Lexaeus was currently standing watch outside the door, so the current conversation was only being heard by Zexion. The Schemer cleared his throat, and then looked over at the blonde now relaxing upon his chair.

"Vexen, you never did say what exactly went on when you met with Larxene and Marluxia. You came back and have been speaking only about your replica ever since then. When I questioned you about what happened the next time you met with them, you never responded."

The blonde seemed to retreat slightly within his chair, a scowl forming upon his lips as he glanced down at the floor beneath him. He stayed quiet for a moment, which made you cock your eyebrow in curiosity- what exactly had happened between Vexen and the traitors that he was keeping to himself?

"My replica has been… going astray. He is no longer acting in anyone's interest other than his own. Ever since those two had Naminé re-write his memories, he has been out of my control. Hence why I have been speaking about it so much since my return. However, when I met with them once more, Marluxia gave me a rather interesting task. He wishes for me to prove myself by defeating Sora."

Vexen's answer caused both you and Zexion to give a slightly surprised look, but you hummed softly as you thought about his words. The Organization needed Sora, and it was clear that Marluxia and Larxene needed him just as much for their own goals. If Marluxia truly had challenged Vexen to defeat Sora, that would ultimately mean that he would be losing a vital asset to his agenda as well. So why, then, would he propose such an idea to Vexen in the first place? It simply didn't make sense within your mind.

"And what do you plan to do about this, Vexen?"

"I intend to allow Sora to see what he is currently overlooking. In order to combat Marluxia, I will confront Sora and allow him to see the other side of his heart."

"The other side of his heart?"

"I shan't explain such things right now, ( _ **Name**_ ). It would take far too long and I'm not in the mood to speak about it, currently. Perhaps when I return I shall explain what I mean."

You watched as he rose from his chair, and heard a soft sigh pass his lips. He made his way over to Zexion's side, placing his hand upon his shoulder before leaning beside his ear- his words were unintelligible to you, but the expression upon Zexion's face was more than enough to show you that whatever he said was rather important to the Schemer. You saw the scientist's green eyes glance over at you once he had finished speaking, and not too long after, he made his way in front of you.

"( _ **Name**_ ), you have been a wonderful asset to our Organization. I know that my actions towards you have been rather uncalled for at times, but it truly has been a pleasurable experience working alongside you and Zexion."

You gave the man a rather confused look, seeing as how this was literally out of nowhere. All that he gave in return was a simple pat on the shoulder, before heading off towards the doorway that led out of the laboratory.

"I'm going to see our hero of light now. Zexion, heed my words."

With that, the blonde made his way outside the laboratory, and out of your sight. You quickly made your way over to Zexion, questioning him about what Vexen had spoken to him before coming to you. You were extremely confused as to why he had a sudden change of heart, so to speak, and it was something that made you feel rather uneasy.

"He asked me to finish his work for him, ( _ **Name**_ ). Unlike the two younger members upstairs, most of the Organization still believes that what we are working towards is something that is obtainable. It is without a doubt that many of us, if not all of us, will meet our ends because of Sora. I suppose it was his way of apologizing for his rude and often childish behavior towards you and I, in case something were to happen to him whilst he is away."

You let out a soft hum, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes dropping to look down at the colorless floor beneath your feet. That was something that you hadn't really thought about before- what happened to Nobodies after they died? Did they simply vanish into a never-ending nothingness, or was there something awaiting them after they perished? Naturally, this was something that you would never know until you yourself met your end, which was something you honestly hoped wouldn't come to pass. In an attempt to rid your mind of any more thoughts about such things, you cleared your throat and began to walk towards the entrance to the laboratory.

"I'm going to go… wander around, I suppose."

"( _ **Name**_ ), be careful. Should you happen upon Riku or his replica, do not engage him. Simply retreat and inform either Lexaeus or myself, alright? It's not that I don't trust in your abilities… I simply don't want you getting hurt."

You didn't take any offense to Zexion's words- it was honestly rather sweet that he cared about you so much. You gave him a small smile over your shoulder, brushing a bit of your ( _ **color**_ ) hair behind your ear before heading out of the laboratory.

=13=

"I've never seen the full extent of this castle, now that I think about it. How many floors does this place have?"

You spoke softly to yourself as you made your way up yet another set of stairs- since you had left the laboratory, you had counted at least five floors that you had ventured through. Given that you and the others had been on basement level six, according to Vexen, surely you must be close to the entrance of the castle by now, right? At least, that's what you thought.

Upon reaching the top of the flight of stairs you had previously been climbing, you stopped as you saw a portal of darkness materialize upon the opposite end of the room. You mentally readied yourself, in case it was something that you would need to take up arms against, but were both relieved and slightly upset to see none other than the Savage Nymph come from within the darkness. You stared at her, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes fixated unyieldingly upon her own cyan ones.

"Ah, just who I hoped I'd find! How are you, ( _ **Name**_ )?"

"You're not supposed to be here, Larxene. These basements are governed by the higher ranked members of the Organization, as under the word of Marluxia."

Your words, cold and unfeeling, made the woman across the room give a rather distinct frown. She began pacing towards you, her heels clicking against the floor with each stride- you continued to keep yourself at the ready, but were rather surprised to see the smile return to her lips once she was halfway across the room.

"Come on, ( _ **Name**_ ). I know we didn't talk much back at the base, but maybe we can change that! After all, you're very special."

"I'm not any more special than the next member, Larxene. My power is not greater than anyone else's, so don't speak as though it is."

By this time, the blonde was now in front of you. She seemed to completely ignore your words, and placed her hand upon your shoulder as she gave yet another grin- it made you rather uncomfortable, and the fact that she was so close to you heightened that feeling even more. You wanted nothing to do with traitors of the Organization, but you couldn't let it slip that you knew about such things. It would put Vexen and the others in danger, and that was something that you wouldn't allow.

"Oh come now, ( _ **Name**_ ). You and I both know that there's so much more for you out there than working under Xemnas. You have a wonderful power, after all. An endless army of Pureblood Heartless? Not to mention you can make people literally rot away…"

"No, I can't. I have never been able to use my power on people, Larxene. Where are you even going with this?"

The blonde began to run her fingers gently through your hair, and your entire body tensed up for a moment as she did so. You refused to move away, since you knew that was exactly what she thought you would do. You forced yourself to remain still, and she hummed softly as she twirled a small strand of your ( _ **color**_ ) hair around her gloved finger.

"You should come and meet Marluxia, ( _ **Name**_ ). I'm sure he'd love to speak to you… and I bet you'd be of great use to us."

"I'm not a toy, Larxene. I'm also not going to become some underling to Marluxia…"

"Oh, and why is that? Oh yes… perhaps it's that partner of yours, right? After all, you and him are together all the time."

You immediately looked up, shooting the now grinning blonde a glare. You finally decided to move away from her, flicking her hand away from you as you did so- you weren't about to put up with this treatment from her, especially since she had already earned your distrust with her actions against the Organization. And, now that she had made the situation personal by bringing Zexion into it, you certainly weren't about to be silent about such things any longer.

"Don't you dare bring Zexion into this, Larxene. You aren't about to manipulate me into whatever it is you're wanting me to do. So, I suggest you go right back upstairs and never come back down here. You come down here and talk to me as though we're friends, yet you've rarely spoken to me before this. And, to add to it, you made things personal in an attempt to manipulate me."

You grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to you before curling your lips into a small grin. Your fingers dug into her gloves, and you saw a pained expression cross her face as you did so.

"Go back to Marluxia, Larxene. Do not return down here, lest you regret that choice. You've already made the mistake of attempting to manipulate me… do not try your luck again."

You let go of her hand, and watched as she immediately gripped it with her unaffected one. She gave you a rather pained expression of what seemed to be slight fear, and you noticed that she had summoned a portal behind her as she continued to back away from you.

"Stupid girl… what did you do to my hand? It shouldn't be hurting this much…"

You didn't answer. Your smile stayed upon your lips, which only made the blonde more distraught. She quickly turned on her heel, hastily heading within the portal and closing it immediately behind her. You hummed softly to yourself as you turned around yourself, beginning to head back down the stairs towards the floor where Zexion and Lexaeus were.

=13=

The sound of turning pages was the only thing to be heard within the laboratory as you entered the doorway. Upon hearing the door shut behind you, the Schemer glanced up and away from his book to see who had entered the room. He watched as you walked in front of him, the same smile still upon your lips as when you had taken the pleasure of putting Larxene in her place.

"Well, you seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen whilst you were out and about within the castle?"

You hummed softly, reaching down to tug at some of the strands of blue hair that over his right eye. He cleared his throat as you did this, and you couldn't help the chuckle that passed your lips. The mood you were in was good indeed, and you wanted to celebrate your triumph with the man sitting in front of you.

"I simply put a certain blonde woman in her place. She came to me spewing nonsense about how I had great power and didn't need to be Xemnas's lapdog. So, she tried to make things personal to get me to join her side. I simply didn't allow that. Messed up her hand a bit…"

Your response seemed to surprise the Schemer, but he hummed softly and then gave a soft sigh. He figured that Larxene or Marluxia would attempt something at some point or another, but to do something like this so soon was rather unexpected. However, he was rather glad that you had put the Nymph in her place, since she so desperately needed to experience something like that to begin with.

"Also, is Lexaeus in here somewhere?"

"I'm afraid not. He went off somewhere whilst you were gone. Why?"

You brought the hand that had been playing with the man's hair along the top of his head, and then gently ran it along the side of his face to cup his cheek tenderly within your palm. Without replying to his question, you brought yourself down to his level and closed the space between the two of you. He had no reason to object such an action, and happily returned it- being able to feel these emotions again was such a welcomed relief, and enjoying such a feeling with you was more than he could have ever hoped for in this life.

You eventually moved yourself away from him, your thumb running along his cheek as you rested your forehead against his own. You still didn't know much about this emotion called love, and you were mostly acting on instinct- you wanted to be close to him, and being close to him brought you a sense of comfort that only he could give. In all honesty, you were stressed and worried about the predicament with Marluxia and Larxene, so you needed the comfort now more than ever. For whatever reason, being within Castle Oblivion was making your emotions, though still unknown and rather foreign to you, run more rampant than they usually did.

"Are you alright, ( _ **Name**_ )? You've been acting rather odd lately. I simply wish to make sure that nothing is ailing you."

You gave a small nod of your head, and then sighed deeply as you closed your eyes. Being this close to him truly was giving you a wonderful feeling of comfort, and you were instinctively wanting more of it with each passing second. He eventually came to notice how you were in need of some physical comfort, and even though he himself was inexperienced with this sort of thing, he wanted to at least try to help you. He rose to his feet, grabbing your hand within his own as he brought his Lexicon to rest at his side whilst he began to walk. The laboratory came equipped with several rooms for those who were working within it, so the Schemer figured it might be a good time to allow you to get some form of rest- after all, rest was one of the best ways for someone to relax, which is what he figured you needed.

He brought you into one of the empty rooms, allowing you to sit upon the bed within the room before brushing a bit of your hair away from your eyes. You wanted him to stay with you, even if that meant sharing your bed with him for a while- anything to keep him close to you. What little you had regained of your heart was growing more and more needy of the man whom had stolen it, and you weren't quite certain whether that was something to be glad about or concerned about.

"I know you don't want me to go, ( _ **Name**_ ), but you need your rest. I assure you that I will be close by if you need me."

You gave a small nod of your head, a quiet sigh passing your lips. What was this feeling that had overtaken you? You were growing needy of the physical comfort Zexion could now provide, and that hadn't been there when all of this first began. You watched the Schemer place his Lexicon upon the nightstand beside your bed, and he gently tapped the cover of it with his hand.

"Should you need something to read, feel free to examine my book. I'm sure the next portion of the story we began together is in there, now. Now, rest if you can- it is rather late, after all. We've all had a very interesting day."

With that, Zexion made his way towards the door of the side room, and the glow of the computers within the laboratory slowly faded as he shut the door nearly all the way. Only a sliver of blue light managed to make its way past the door- just enough for you to see if you needed to. Your ( ** _color_** ) eyes stared at the Lexicon that was sitting upon your nightstand, and you hummed softly as you grabbed it and brought it upon your lap. You snuggled a bit into the pillow you were currently resting on, and then opened the book- sure enough, as Zexion had said, the next part of the story the two of you had been partaking in together was now written upon the pages of the book.

Needless to say, when Zexion returned later within the night to check on you, he found you fast asleep with his Lexicon opened and splayed across your chest.

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : If I'm going by Roxas's journal entries, the entire Chain of Memories arc takes place over the course of approximately a month (from when Axel leaves to when Roxas finds out about the Castle Oblivion team being eliminated is a total of 28 days). So, that being stated, there is approximately two weeks left in this arc when going by the normal timeline.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : I made this chapter a bit more… mushy near the end. Please remember that what happens to Nobodies when their hearts return is entirely non-canonical, and based entirely on my own head-canons, observations, and theories. If Zexion appears to be out of character, it is simply because that he and ( _ **Name**_ ) are attempting to deal with the complications of their emotions slowly but surely returning to their bodies. I feel that, both as a Nobody and as a human, Zexion was rather inexperienced with love and the feeling of it, but is able to cope with it and learn what it means rather quickly. Hence why he doesn't retreat upon kisses, or doesn't mind giving physical comfort. (The trope of _inexperienced = shy and incapable_ got a bit old in my mind).


	10. Grief

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

Before you had a chance to open your eyes, your body had already risen into an upright position upon the bed you had been sleeping on. Something had disturbed you and forced you to awaken, but you had no clue what force was behind such a thing- you finally brought your hand to your eye, your palm rubbing gently against it in order to help wake yourself up entirely. It didn't take long before you were out of bed, and you made yourself look somewhat presentable before opening the door into the adjoining laboratory. The air itself felt heavy, and there was a horrible feeling hanging over the room that you walked into- it was certainly something you had never experienced before, but you instinctively knew that something was very wrong. You saw the door that led into the laboratory was opened slightly, and through it, you saw what looked like Lexaeus and Zexion convening in the room that was outside.

Each footstep your shoes made across the tiled floor was louder than they normally were- or were they? Had they always been that loud? The light coming from the computer monitor seemed to be a bit dimmer than normal as well- or had it always been like that? You forced yourself to stop questioning these trivial things as you made your way over to the entryway, your gloved hand gently pushing open the door so you could walk through the opening and into the large room. You noticed Lexaeus glance at you over his shoulder, his look a bit more stern than it usually was.

"Lexaeus?"

You came to a halt beside the man that towered over you, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes staring up at him in slight confusion. The Stalwart and Schemer were unusually quiet, and that said something since Lexaeus rarely spoke to begin with. You saw the ginger bring his arms across his chest, and heard a deep sigh leave his lips before he finally parted them to speak- he was stopped by Zexion.

"Vexen was struck down by Axel… something that I find deplorable."

You felt your entire body tense up upon hearing the words that Zexion spoke. It had been three days since Vexen went off to encounter Sora, and you hadn't seen him since he had left. But, knowing now that he had been murdered, by the hand of a fellow Organization member no less, was something that confused every aspect of your being. When you had met Axel, he had been a man who seemed kind enough for a Nobody- certainly not someone you expected to slaughter another Organization member of his own volition. You heard Lexaeus begin speaking about Sora, but his words were eventually turned into nothing more than blurred garble to your ears. You were still attempting to come to grips with the fact that Vexen was gone- though he had a habit of being incredibly egotistical and rude, he was still one of the members that you considered a good friend, just like Lexaeus.

You were finally drawn out of your trance and managed to hear Lexaeus finish speaking about what he thought should be done about Larxene and Marluxia, which was simply wait and see what developed. You glanced over at Zexion, whom was hiding his face a bit more than he typically did. He cleared his throat, then turned towards the laboratory before he finally spoke.

"Excuse me."

You watched as the Schemer strode off towards the laboratory, and then vanished behind the door. You heard a heavy sigh come from beside you, and your attention turned to the Stalwart, who was now gazing at the door that Zexion had just gone behind.

"I can only begin to imagine how this is affecting him. I would normally check on him, but I believe that you are what he needs right now, ( _ **Name**_ ). As his friend, I ask that you go to him in my place."

You gave the man a nod, and then made your way back into the laboratory- you now understood why everything had felt odd ever since you awoke, and you were rather unsettled by it. You noticed that Zexion was no longer in the laboratory, so you figured that he had entered the room he had been using to rest within during your stay in the castle. You walked to the door, which was currently shut, and very gently opened it before taking a few steps into the darkened room. Zexion was seated upon the bed in the center of the room, his back facing the entryway- he gave you no acknowledgment upon you entering the room, and you sighed quietly as you shut the door behind you. You made your way over to the bed, slowly taking a seat beside him- the only sound within the room was the sheets upon the bed rustling slightly as you sat upon them, and once you were situated, there was another moment of deafening silence that swept throughout the room.

In all honesty, you weren't sure what to say to Zexion at this time. You didn't know what he wanted to hear, or what he needed to hear at this point. What were you to say to him about such a dark topic?

"You know… in my previous life, *Vexen raised me- he was my father when I had none. I'm certain you know this already, but his name was Even. My name was Ienzo, and he took care of me when I was orphaned. The memories that I shared with him are the most vivid ones that won't stop replaying within my mind…"

You turned your attention to him, only to see something that, in all honesty, made what little of the heart you had sink to the soles of your shoes. The left side of Zexion's face was glistening with tears as they rolled steadily down his cheek, each one dripping onto his black cloak to leave several darker spots that were noticeable even through the dark material. You could see that he was giving a rather pained smile, almost as if he was attempting to smile at the good memories he could remember of Vexen- but, in the process, it was only making him worse.

"H-he was a wonderful man back then. He taught me to voice my thoughts, and not sit in silence. He was my inspiration, and he was how I found my passion for science and k-knowledge."

Each word he spoke caused another rush of tears to run down his cheeks, and he wasn't even bothering to wipe them away. You could see his gloved fingers clutching the sheets within them, his hands trembling as he did so. You reached down, prying his left hand away from the sheets and gripping it tightly within your own- this caused him to close his eyes, his head drooping and several deep sobs finally leaving his throat. You sighed deeply, still gripping his hand as you wrapped your free arm around his body to the best of your ability. You knew that he was in desperate need of comfort, and you would do whatever you could in order to provide it for him. At this point, your own vision was beginning to blur with tears that were welling in your eyes, but you refused to allow them any further action for Zexion's sake.

The process of regaining a heart was a double-edged sword: it brought joy and pleasure, but with it came pain and grief.

=13=

What felt like hours passed within the small room, and Zexion had eventually given in to his need for physical comfort and wrapped his arms around your body. You stayed like this for as long as he needed, and honestly, you were in need of it too. Losing Vexen was something that neither of you wanted to happen, but you knew that you couldn't sit around and wait for something else to happen. However, you also knew that pushing Zexion too early was wrong- he was grieving, and you needed to be there for him. You softly ran your fingers through the Schemer's hair, and you heard him give a quiet sigh before he finally moved himself out of your embrace. He cleared his throat, then ran his arm across his eyes to rid them of any tears that happened to remain there.

"I apologize for such behavior, ( _ **Name**_ ). I know that Vexen would not want us to sit here and grieve over him like this."

"Don't apologize, Zexion… you needed that. However, this shows that something must be done about the trio upstairs. I believe this goes to show exactly what side Axel is on, and I think that Lexaeus is wrong about us sitting here and waiting to see what unfolds."

You rose to your feet, and Zexion situated himself upon the other side of the bed so that he was facing the door that led into the laboratory- he wasn't quite ready to leave yet, but that was to be expected. He knew that you were right- Axel's actions were nothing short of heinous and abhorrent, and he was most certainly not to be trusted. However, Lexaeus was also correct to a certain extent- if they were to act upon the trio themselves, they would be stooping to their level, and that was something that Zexion didn't dare wish to do.

"As much as I agree with you, and wish to avenge Vexen, I'm afraid I must agree with Lexaeus on this plan. Engaging the team on the upper floors would begin a war within the Organization, and bring us to the level that they have fallen to. I'm certain the warrior of light will bring them to swift and well-deserved ends soon enough. However, Lexaeus had the idea of using Riku to counter Marluxia's hold on Sora, and I believe such an idea just might turn out successful."

You gave a small nod of your head, and then sighed quietly. That meant that Lexaeus would most likely go off and search for the warrior of darkness, if he hadn't left already. However, using Sora's best friend as a counter-measure to Marluxia was something that did show rather good signs of success if planned out properly and executed well. You were about to respond to Zexion's words, but were interrupted by a single knock upon the door. Both you and Zexion turned your attention to the doorway, and saw that Lexaeus now stood within it.

"Zexion- I came to tell you am going off to find Riku."

Zexion inhaled deeply, and you knew exactly what was on his mind. He had already lost one partner, and now he risked losing someone he held just as closely to him as Vexen. The ginger walked into the dark room, kneeling down before the Schemer and placing a hand on his shoulder. His look was sincere, yet softer than you had ever seen him be before.

"You must not brood over me, Zexion. Should something happen, I ask that you do not allow it to overtake you. As your friend, I ask that you take care of yourself."

You watched as the Schemer gave small nod, and the Stalwart gave his shoulder a gentle pat before he rose to his feet once again. He then turned his attention to you, extending his hand in your direction.

"It has been my pleasure to make your acquaintance, ( _ **Name**_ ). I couldn't ask for my friend to have a better partner- both in arms and personally."

You couldn't help the frown that was currently plastered upon your lips as you took the man's hand. It felt as though you were sending him away to his death, especially since he was speaking as though it would be the last time he saw both you and Zexion. You knew that Lexaeus was considered one of the strongest members of Organization XIII, but there was still this horrible feeling that he wouldn't come back once he stepped foot outside of the laboratory.

"Lexaeus… let me come with-"

"Absolutely not."

You sighed heavily at the immediate response you got from the man, but reluctantly nodded your head before giving his hand a firm squeeze. There was nothing more to be said or done about the matter, and it wasn't long before Lexaeus retracted his hand and gave a slight bow at his waist. Without saying another word, the ginger turned around, walked out of the room, and eventually vanished after leaving the laboratory. You heard rustling coming from beside you, and you turned your attention to the man who had finally risen off the side of the bed and onto his feet.

"( _ **Name**_ )… thank you for what you did for me. I'm recovering now- I know that Vexen would want me to continue on with our mission, and finish what he left behind. So, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

He moved in front of you, leaning down and placing a tender kiss upon the top of your head. It brought a tiny smile to your lips, but you knew that he was still hurting. Even as you watched him return to the lab and begin working on the things that Vexen left behind, you could tell that he was doing his best to maintain his composure. You didn't blame him one bit, nor feel as though he was weak for showing his emotions so openly- if Vexen truly had been Zexion's father figure as he had said earlier, it was only right for him to be affected so negatively by his death. You slowly made your way to Zexion's side, giving him a reassuring smile as you did so.

"We'll finish what Vexen left behind, Zexion. You and I."

=13=

"Whoa… no way. You're kiddin', right?"

"Geez… it's only been two weeks and someone already kicked the bucket? Who was it?"

"I cannot say. For now, we must remain hopeful that the rest of the mission at Castle Oblivion goes well, and that no other lives are lost."

Overhearing the conversation between a few of the older members was beginning to make Luxord ill. He attempted to focus more on the cards he was currently flicking back and forth between his hands, a sigh leaving his lips as he gazed upon each one. *How could they sit back and talk so nonchalantly about a member of the Organization being killed? Were they not valued as anything more than pawns to be disposed of at any given time? Though the Gambler often played things off as nothing more than a game, he still believed that any members who lost their lives to the game of life should be mourned- even if they lacked the hearts to truly do so. He turned his attention to the newer boy, Roxas, who was currently sitting in front of him within the gathering room.

"Roxas, what do you think of such a horrible fate befalling a fellow member? It seems the dice were not in their favor this time."

Luxord's question caught the boy off-guard, but it dragged him out of his thoughts for a moment as he attempted to form an answer to the question the Gambler had offered.

"I mean… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think."

"Your friend was sent to Castle Oblivion, yes? The red-haired lad… Axel, I believe his name was?"

"Yes."

Luxord flipped a card quickly between the knuckles on his right hand, then tossed it onto the table that sat between him and Roxas. Upon it was the number seven- he then tossed yet another card onto the table, this time the number reading six. He himself stared at the numbers that now lay upon the table, several more thoughts now clouding his normally clear mind.

"I wonder how many more are to be lost whilst within that castle. Roxas, how well acquainted were you with the members that were sent to Castle Oblivion? Aside from the Axel lad, of course."

"They weren't people I talked to all the time. The girl was nice though- not Larxene, but the other girl."

"Ah, you mean ( _ **Name**_ )."

Roxas gave a nod of his head. The only thing he really remembered about her was that she had been rather nice to him during his first days in the Organization. They hadn't talked much at all, but she always tried to be kind to him whenever they happened to pass one another in the hall, or whenever they met within the gathering room. After all, it had only been a few days after they met the first time before she had been sent off to Castle Oblivion with Axel and the others. Luxord was going to reply to the blonde boy, but stopped as Saïx made his way over beside them.

"And what might the two of you be talking about over here?"

"Ah, Saïx. We were simply speaking about the tragedy that took place at Castle Oblivion, was all. Nothing more, I assure you."

Unfeeling, yellow eyes stared at the two blondes- Roxas shifted slightly as he attempted to avoid the piercing gaze, but there was no escaping from it. Eventually, the Diviner cleared his throat and looked off towards an unknown part of the room as he began to speak.

"Yes- the loss is surely a horrible event for the Organization. As I stated earlier, we can only hope that the rest of the mission goes on without another casualty. Now, don't the two of you have missions to be doing?"

Luxord brought his hand across the table, the two cards that he had previously placed upon it vanishing from sight. Once Saïx had left the gathering area, he brought himself to his feet, extending his hand for Roxas to take.

"Come along, Roxas. There is much work for us pawns to complete."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : If you have not played Birth by Sleep, it was revealed that Ienzo was orphaned as a young child. There are many people that seem to believe Ansem the Wise was the one to take care of him primarily, however, I don't see it this way. I believe that Vexen was the primary caregiver of Ienzo, since there is one cutscene within Birth by Sleep that shows Vexen looking for the boy upon not finding him within the castle. The breakdown that Zexion suffers was not meant to be overexaggerated or cliché, or to show weakness- it was meant to show just how broad the spectrum of emotions he and ( _ **Name**_ ) are experiencing as their hearts continue to return. While the heart can provide plenty of happiness and joy, there is also the darker side of the heart, which houses grief, pain, and misery.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : Luxord's reaction to hearing the members talk about the death at Castle Oblivion stems both from a personal head canon about his past, and a line that he stated within 358 ½ Days: "No game is complete without pawns." My personal head canon, until more is revealed about his past of course, is that he was taken in by an illegal gambling group when he was young- this group was the only family he ever knew, and as such, they were all very loyal to one another. Hearing the members of Organization XIII speak of a fellow member's death as though it didn't matter simply doesn't sit right within his mind, since he was raised to always be loyal to those whom you were closely associated with.


	11. Death

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

 _DISCLAIMER: This chapter features some blood and gore, alongside sadistic tendencies and death. You have been warned._

=13=

" _Day 21._

 _It's been four days since Vexen's defeat. I confided in Zexion before beginning to write these notes, and we feel as though it has become necessary that others know the truth- we might not return home to the base, and if we don't, this is all I can do to try and keep the rest of you from sharing the same fate. I cannot recollect all of what has happened in the past three weeks, so I am sharing whatever I can starting from day twenty-one after arriving to Castle Oblivion._

 _Axel was the culprit responsible for Vexen's murder. Some of you might find this difficult to believe, but I assure you that I would not lie about such things. Vexen was a friend of mine, even if his personality often conflicted with my own- his death was a great loss to all of the Organization, but dealt the hardest blow to those of us in charge of the basements here in Castle Oblivion. As much as I dislike writing out these next words, I am the bearer of more unfortunate news: late last evening, Lexaeus was defeated. He was bested by the Hero of Darkness, Riku, as he made his way through the basements of Castle Oblivion. Now, Zexion and myself are all that's left of the team governing the basement levels. Larxene has also been eliminated- the Hero of Light, Sora, saw to that._

 _Now, there is something very important that you all understand if you are to ever find these notes. To all of you left back at home, completing Kingdom Hearts is not necessary for restoring your hearts- Zexion and I are proof of this. We have kept our findings secret until now, but we felt it was best to reveal everything to the rest of you. Some of you might have noticed that, as you grew closer to certain members of the Organization, you tend to lose yourself around them. This is not because you are forcing yourself to do so in a feeble attempt to fill some nonexistent void of a missing heart. Your heart was never missing to begin with- it was simply lying dormant within you._

 _As Zexion and I grew closer, we began to truly feel things once again. We could laugh, we could enjoy ourselves, and we could simply be at peace for once. However, there were two things that proved we were slowly regaining our hearts. One, we could feel very faint pulses of life from within our chests. As you know, this is the place where our hearts should be. It was an odd feeling indeed, but it wasn't something that we were imagining- we tested this multiple times to make sure of that. Two, when Vexen was murdered by the hands of Axel, Zexion's will broke. He spent quite a long time with me simply sobbing, his entire being in pain at the idea of losing someone he desperately cared about. This, as you know, should be physically impossible for beings that cannot feel emotion, and do not have hearts. *You simply cannot cry without a heart._

 _My friends, I hope that these notes eventually come into your hands. The entire life that I have known has been spent amongst all of you, and knowing that you all know the truth is all that can put me at peace about the subject- even if it means dying so that knowledge comes to you._

 _~(_ _ **Name**_ _)~"_

=13=

You brought your hand up off the parchment upon the desk, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes scanning over what you had just written to make sure that you hadn't left anything of importance out. When you concluded that everything was as it should be, you rolled the parchment up, and then tied a thin string around the center of it to keep it from unrolling itself once it was out of your grasp. The air within the castle was beginning to become unbearably dense- ever since the loss of Lexaeus, it felt as though the castle was attempting to swallow you whole. However, you and Zexion had been vigorously fighting against it. You couldn't allow yourselves to grow weary and lose yourselves to grief- not when there were so many people working against you, including those whom you previously trusted such as Larxene, (though she was now dead, of course) Axel, and Marluxia.

"You dare show your face here? After all that you've done?"

The unmistakable voice of Zexion immediately caught your attention, and you knew instantly that something was wrong. You hastily placed the note into the breast-pocket of your coat for safe keeping until another time, and then dashed out of the laboratory and into the large, nearly-empty room. Your eyes fell upon the crimson-haired man whom had murdered Vexen, a cocky smile plastered on his lips that made your blood boil.

"C'mon, Zexion. I simply came down here to make a small bet with you. Vexen, Larxene, Lexaeus… I'm just curious to see who you think might take a nosedive into nothingness central next."

Hearing how cocky the man sounded made it incredibly hard to restrain yourself. Not only had he murdered a fellow member with his own hands, he was now mocking both his death and Lexaeus's as well. You curled your fingers into the palm of your hand, your nails nearly piercing the gloves that you wore as you fiercely attempted to keep your composure. You walked over beside the Schemer, which earned a cock of the flame-bearer's eyebrow.

"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen you, ( _ **Name**_ ). How's that control over death itself comin', huh?"

"I don't know, Axel. Perhaps you'd like to find out?"

The way you snapped at the red-haired man surprised you. You honestly hadn't meant to sound so spiteful, but your mind was already running away from your grasp. You desperately wanted to fight with him- to get vengeance for what he had done to Vexen. However, you quickly changed your mind when you felt Zexion's hand come to rest upon your shoulder. You glanced over at him, seeing that he was attempting to calm you; as much as you wished for vengeance for Vexen's unnecessary death, both of you knew that engaging in battle with another member of Organization XIII meant you would only be stooping to the level that Axel, Larxene, and Marluxia had fallen to.

"Easy now, easy. I don't wanna get on your bad side, here. After all, I'm sure that you could end me in a matter of seconds, if you really wanted to."

Before you had the chance to offer a rebuttal to the man, Zexion cleared his throat and stepped in front of you- he had heard quite enough mindless chatter from him already, and just seeing his face was more than enough to get under his skin.

"Axel, you are not welcome within the basement floors of Castle Oblivion. Just as ( _ **Name**_ ) told Larxene when she came down here, we are all that is left to govern the lower floors, and as such, you are not welcome since you are working alongside Marluxia. Now, return to the upper floors, and do not come down here again."

"Hmph… you two aren't very fun now, are ya? Well, I suppose I'll just have to make that bet with myself. I think that Marluxia is gonna be next in line. Or maybe…"

You watched as a portal materialized behind him, and he gave a grin as he took several steps back towards it.

"…perhaps it might be you, ( _ **Name**_ )."

With that, the crimson-haired man left the room. The portal vanished from your sight, and you grit your teeth in frustration. You still couldn't believe that Axel, the kind and rather humorous man that you had spent some time with back at the base, was responsible for the death of not only a senior member, but a good friend of yours. And now, he was giving you a rather blatant hint that you were most likely going to be next in line to perish within the walls of this place. What had you done to deserve such a fate in the first place? In fact, what had Vexen done to deserve such a fate at the hands of Axel? Surely there was something that you were missing- something that you hadn't seen yet. Axel was doing this for some reason, but you weren't sure of what it was.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when Zexion's grip upon your shoulder tightened slightly, and you looked up at him to see a rather serious look upon his face.

"Is what he said bothering you, Zexion? Please don't allow it to-"

"You and I both know your ability works on humans and Nobodies, ( _ **Name**_ )."

You stopped upon hearing his words, your gaze immediately dropping to the colorless ground beneath your boots. You stayed silent, knowing that this topic would come up between the two of you eventually. However, it was something that made you rather uncomfortable, and you weren't really wishing to speak about it at the time.

"I know that you want to keep yourself in check, ( _ **Name**_ ). I know that you've been trying to convince other members that you cannot use your abilities on them, but I believe that you've really been trying to convince yourself more than anyone else."

"I don't want to hurt anyone, Zexion. Heartless are one thing, but a living being… I don't want to become the monster that all the other members think I am. It took me so long to convince them that I couldn't hurt them even if I wanted to. In truth, if I really wanted to, I could end everything in an instant. I could give them diseases, I could make their skin rot off, or I could sick Heartless on them until they were eventually overrun and defeated. You saw what I did to the trees on the island, Zexion. What about those fish and crabs as well? Anything organic is free game to me… why do you think I don't use my powers that much? The other members rely on their abilities entirely, but… I can't."

You heard the Schemer give a heavy sigh, and you watched as he grabbed your gloved hands within his own. He stayed quiet for a moment, his visible eye staring at you intently. It was clear that all of this was bothering him, and you knew that finally admitting yourself to him probably made it worse.

"I've lost Vexen, and I've lost Lexaeus. ( _ **Name**_ ), I can't lose you, too. I know that I've only said it once before, but I love you. It is still a strange and foreign concept to me, but you are the sole reason that I haven't lost myself again over the loss of Lexaeus. Not only do you keep me strong, but you are the one who keeps me calm and allows me to continue on without them. If Axel was to do something to you, I know for a fact I would kill him where he stood. When we first founded this Organization, losing a member would have been nothing more than a nuisance. Now, since I've regained a portion of my heart, losing a close member is almost akin to taking a blade to the chest."

He stopped, tugging your hands slightly in order to bring your body closer to his own. He squeezed your fingers within his own, and then gave an elongated sigh as he attempted to find the rest of his words. What he had said had been true- all those months ago, if things had been different, losing Vexen and Lexaeus might not have been anything more than extra explaining to do to the Superior upon returning to base. But, since you had been with him all this time and allowed him to begin regaining his heart, everything was different now.

"( _ **Name**_ ), I beg of you, if Axel or anyone else threatens you, do not hold yourself back. You are not a monster for using the power that was bestowed upon you."

As much as you hated hearing the words that left Zexion's mouth, you knew that he was right. Your power didn't make you a monster, but the idea of using it to take the life of another being, let alone another human, left a horrible taste in your mouth. Perhaps you didn't have to kill them, per se. Perhaps you could simply incapacitate them? However, if Axel hadn't held back with Vexen, you doubted that he would hold back if he truly was planning on coming after you, as well. Which, unfortunately, meant that there would probably be no holding back if it ever came to a confrontation with him.

"Alright, Zexion. I promise that I won't hold back if anything happens."

"Good."

He finally released your hands, and then turned his head to gaze at the stairs leading further down into the castle.

"( _ **Name**_ ), I'm afraid that I have rather unfortunate news. I understand that this is not what you wish to hear currently, especially with what has happened, but I must find Riku. With the possibility of Marluxia perishing, there is no need for him any longer."

"Zexion, no. Not even Lexaeus could beat him, and he was one of the strongest members of Organization XIII. You just told me that you couldn't bear to lose me, right? Well… I'm sure as hell not okay with losing you, either."

You stared up at him, not understanding why he would willingly put himself in harm's way like this. He had only just finished explaining how he couldn't bear to lose you- surely he knew that the feeling was mutual by this point? His right hand rose, his Lexicon taking form within the grip of his fingers as he did so. He flipped through several pages of it, and then hummed softly.

"I assure you that I will be just fine, ( _ **Name**_ ). Not even you have seen the full extent of the ability that I possess. However, should I not return within three days, I ask that you leave the castle. Return to the base, and tell everyone the truth about everything."

=13=

The next three days felt longer than any you had previously experienced. You would often find yourself mindlessly working upon new notes for the Organization as the days passed, or you would attempt to drown out your boredom by reading through Zexion and Vexen's notes that were stored within the computer in the laboratory. On day two, Marluxia had been defeated by Sora- this was rather obvious, seeing as how his death literally shook the entire castle. As much as you didn't care for the man and his treachery, you had to give him credit where credit was due: he was incredibly strong. But now, your mind was focused on the fact that it had already been three days, and that Zexion had yet to return to your side.

What still confused you, however, was the fact that he went after Riku so quickly after asking you to keep yourself safe. He had told you that it was because he was no longer needed now that Marluxia was dead, but you knew that there was something he wasn't telling you- he was going after Riku to avenge Lexaeus. Though he would never openly admit such a thing, you knew that the loss of Lexaeus must have weighed so heavily on his ever-returning heart that he simply wanted to get some form of closure- even if it came in the form of defeating the boy who took his friend's life. You couldn't blame him, however. You yourself had wanted revenge for Vexen's death three days earlier when Axel dared to descend to the lower floors of the castle simply to mock the deaths of your comrades.

You sighed as you finished tying a piece of string around the note you had just created, and then placed it right alongside the others you had already created days earlier. Your only hope was that someone from the Organization would return to the castle and find them- after all, you needed to share the truth with the rest of them. As much as you wished to heed Zexion's orders and simply return to base, you weren't about to abandon him and leave him to perish within these hellish walls. You rose to your feet from the chair you had previously been sitting upon, and then paced over to the entrance of the laboratory. You took one last look over your shoulder, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes falling upon the dim light of Vexen's computer, the countless folders and files littered about the room, and the notes that you had hidden away for others to find. With your mind now at ease, you walked out of the lab and shut the door behind you.

As you began to step through the dark room, you began to think of all the things that had led to this point. What were you missing? There had to be something that brought Axel to murder Vexen, and you were certain that he would target you and Zexion if Zexion was still alive- that was made blatantly clear by what he had said three days earlier. You began to tread down the flight of stairs that led deeper into the castle, and then stopped as you neared the middle of the steps.

"Wait… before we left, Zexion had said that he and Vexen thought that Saïx was up to something. Axel is always speaking with him. And whenever someone else would come around, Saïx would always grow quiet."

That was when you finally understood. You finally figured out the missing link that had been hiding in plain sight this entire time- this mission may have _originally_ been to capture Sora and use his power to complete Kingdom Hearts, but Axel most certainly wasn't working under Xemnas's orders. He was working under the orders of Saïx.

With this new information now wrestling with your mind, you hastily made your way down the remaining stairs and into the next room. It was empty, but upon ceasing your movement, you thought you heard some muffled noise coming from somewhere below. You nearly sprinted across the room, hastily making your way down the steps that led to the next floor. If Zexion was alive, you had to find him, and you had to find him now.

=13=

From the floor below, a struggling Zexion staggered alongside the wall, his gloved fingers desperately gripping the smooth wall in an attempt to steady himself. His breaths left his lips in deep, ragged pants, and his free hand clutched his chest as he struggled to stay upon his feet. He had never fathomed that a boy like Riku would be able to harness the power of darkness as well as he did- not even using Sora against him had been effective, which is what eventually forced the Schemer into his current painful predicament.

"I've never seen someone wear the darkness like he does… such a thing should be impossible."

After breathing these thoughts aloud, his fingers again clutched his chest as blood pooled within his mouth- he hastily spit the liquid upon the colorless floor, staining it with crimson red. He huffed as he ran his free hand across his lips, the pain within his chest only growing as he continued struggling to maintain his composure. That damn Riku… if this is the fate that Lexaeus had met, Zexion could do nothing more than take pity on him. Lexaeus could handle much more physical pain than Zexion could, and he could only begin to imagine what the Stalwart endured from the Hero of Darkness.

The Schemer was drawn out of his thoughts by the distinct sound of a portal opening behind him. He quickly diverted his attention to that direction, and painfully brought himself to his feet as he saw none other than the crimson-haired murderer wander out from within the darkness. However, Zexion immediately took a step back upon realizing that he had brought someone with him- Riku. His fear slowly began to cease, however, when he noticed that this Riku showed no aggression towards him as the one he had previously battled with did.

"A-ah… Axel. You brought the Replica with you? This one could surely be used to defeat the real one."

"You're not looking so good, Zexion. What happened to all of that stuff about me needing to leave the lower floors a few days ago, hmm? Now that you're in trouble, you sure don't seem like you want me out of your hair."

Axel's statement took Zexion aback, but what he had said was most certainly true. Until Axel had made mention of it, Zexion hadn't even thought about the things that Axel had done. He was more concerned with his own life rather than blindly putting trust in someone that had murdered a fellow member. But, that's what happens when the heart is consumed by fear of the unknown. He watched as Axel placed his hand on the replica's shoulder, then nudged him forward a bit.

"He's pretty weak right now. If you want to be stronger than the real Riku, you could always just take his power and make it your own. You'd like that, wouldn't you? To become your own person?"

The words that slithered past Axel's lips wormed their way into Zexion's ears, chilling his entire body to the bone. He felt his body seize up as the replica began pacing towards him- why couldn't he move? He couldn't even force himself to form words of distress. He finally managed to shout out the question of "why" only when the replica's hand took a vice grip on the front of his cloak. The sound of his own frantic reactions quickly dulled as he felt himself be brought into the air, his vision blurring as indescribable fear rushed throughout his body. This was it- but there was one image that, even though fear made it impossible for him to think, made itself clear within his mind: you.

A shrill cry made its way past Zexion's ears, and he felt himself drop to the floor beneath him once again. He coughed, his lungs desperately crying out for air as he took quick, sharp breaths in order to calm himself. The world around him was still blurry, but he could make out faint silhouettes- Axel and Riku were obvious, but there was what seemed to be another now standing in front of him. All he could make out was the black coat and boots, but he quickly noticed that the replica was gripping onto what seemed to be his hand. Zexion shook his head, a quiet groan passing his lips as the world finally spun back into clarity.

"M-my hand… what did you do to my hand?!"

Zexion felt himself be brought upright once again, and found himself at the hands of the one person who was on his mind only moments before: you. He could not seem to find any words to give thanks, but his expression was more than enough for you. Had you arrived any later, things would have been much different. You looked at him for only a moment before turning your attention back to the silver-haired monstrosity in front of you, whom was still desperately gripping the hand that you had tainted.

"You want to know what I did to your hand, huh? Well, it's the same thing I'm about to do to your lungs."

You eyed the boy, watching as he suddenly cried out in pain and keeled over, eventually dropping to the floor in a mass of writhing limbs. You held no remorse as you watched him, as you listened to the cries of pain that eventually faded away as he began to gasp for air. His good hand gripped at his chest, and you turned your attention to the wide-eyed Axel, who was staring down at the wriggling mass laying at his feet.

"I-I… I thought you couldn't use your powers on people?"

Your gaze pierced the crimson-haired man like a steel sword, your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes cold and unfeeling. You decided that you wouldn't humor him in answering his question.

"Researching different types of diseases certainly does come in handy, doesn't it? He is currently suffering from something known as * _Necrotizing fasciitis_. In other words, unless you kill me, his soft tissue will continue to perish, and he will eventually die. I hope that he feels every bit of pain that I'm giving him…"

Your gaze dropped to the boy upon the ground, your teeth gritting as you continued to stare at him. You saw the color of his hand beginning to change, several dark purple patches appearing on his otherwise healthy-looking skin. You could only imagine what this was doing to his lungs, but quite frankly, you didn't care. You then turned your attention back to the red-haired male standing behind the suffering boy, and you brought your hand in front of your body, several mangled Heartless, more commonly referred to as "Neoshadows," dragging themselves out of seemingly pitch-black void puddles upon the ground. Each one of them stared at the red-head, their heads twitching slightly as they did so.

"It's honestly amazing, Axel. In a mere moment, you went from feeling nothing as you almost managed to kill yet another member to staring helplessly like a lost puppy. Also, here's something I bet you didn't know. That disease that I gave the replica? It normally doesn't touch the lungs. That's something special about what I can do."

Axel glanced around, realizing that the room was now covered in the mid-sized Heartless. So this was the power of the Nether, was it? He almost regretted having Sora and Riku fight all those Heartless here- only because they were now being used against him of course. He watched as the creatures wriggled and writhed unnaturally, their battered bodies almost seeming to wither away before his very eyes. He had to admit, for you to be able to control these creatures after they had already been defeated once was something he never believed possible- now he knew why you were often referred to as someone you didn't wish to be on terrible terms with.

"So what are you gonna do to me now, ( _ **Name**_ )? Are you going to sick your little minions on me like a horde of rabid dogs? Or are you going to give me some kind of crippling disease like you did to this poor replica here?"

Your expression remained unchanged. You could feel the essence of the Heartless around you itching to be released on the man in front of you- all that was in their nature was to destroy what was around them, after all. Quite frankly, you were more than ready to allow them to tear him to shreds. You knew that he would put up a damn good fight, but you weren't going to go down so easily, either.

"As much as I would love to let them rip you apart, Axel… I still have some chivalry left. I'll let you prepare yourself for battle."

You eyed him as he seemed to relax slightly- knowing that he was able to prepare himself was something that let his guard down a bit. He knew that he was more than capable of taking on these creatures when he was prepared, so he sighed quietly and went to summon his weapon…

"This is for Vexen and Lexaeus, you bastard."

No sooner had the words made their way to Axel's ears did a crushing weight land atop him and force him to the ground. He cried out as he felt clawed hands dig into every inch of him- nails pierced his skin and tore gaping holes into the fabric of his cloak. As much as he struggled to remove himself from the mass of Neoshadows, his attempts all ended in vain.

From across the room, you honestly loved hearing how Axel cried out in pain. As sadistic as it was, you felt as though he deserved it- he and the replica both. He had taken two people that you cared about from you, and he had nearly taken the one that mattered most. Who knows who else he would have harmed if you allowed him to continue on like he had been? In all reality, you found his situation quite satisfying- the vengeance for Vexen and Lexaeus was slowly beginning to become satisfied. You looked to your right, seeing Zexion staring at the pile of rabid Heartless across the room- he finally turned his attention to you, giving you a small nod of his head. He said nothing, but you knew what he was feeling. He was feeling like this was what Axel and the replica deserved, especially after taking his two closest friends.

This did not last.

Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes widened in shock as you saw something burst from Zexion's chest and vanish into thin air, leaving behind a bloodied trail that dashed forward from Zexion's body. Your entire being froze, your eyes not once leaving the face of your mentor as he dropped to the ground. It was as if time itself had stopped, and you could hear the sound of heavy thumping within your head. What was it? What was this painful beating on the inside of your skull? You continued to stare at the bloodied mass upon the ground in front of you, his body becoming engulfed in wisps of darkness as his very being began to fade away from existence. Your vision slowly began to blur, the warm tears caressing your cheeks as they hastily made their way along the contour of your face as you watched the one person you loved fade from existence. You opened your mouth in an attempt to speak, but you were stopped by a sharp pain in the center of your chest. You found the strength to look down, a gaping, bloody hole now residing right in the center of your bosom. There was no time left to speak- there wasn't even enough time left to think. Darkness- darkness darker than you had ever known, engulfed your vision, and that was all that greeted you from then on.

=13=

The pain suddenly stopped, and the weight was suddenly gone from Axel's body. He hissed as he slowly managed to bring himself to his knees, his vision clouded as he tried to see what exactly was going on. He rubbed his temple, his vision finally clearing as he looked around the room- ( _ **Name**_ ) and Zexion were no longer there. In their place were two large pools of crimson liquid, and a man wearing a the Organization's cloak- the hood was pulled over his head, so Axel was unsure as to who it was. He watched as this mysterious figure paced through the liquid uncaringly, each step leaving behind a crimson shoe-print as he made his way right in front of Axel. He pushed the now-unconscious replica aside with his boot, then placed his hand on his hip as if waiting for something.

Axel rose to his feet, staring at the figure that rested in front of him. He watched as the figure slowly took off his hood, and his eyes widened when he realized just who had come to his aid.

"It's a real shame I had to do that… I really liked that kid. And Zexion wasn't that bad of a guy, either."

Xigbar spoke quietly, gazing over his shoulder at the red puddles that now rested near the wall. He sighed as he shook his head, then turned his attention back to Axel, who was now rather confused.

"Listen up, Axel. I know what you did to Vexen, and I know what you were talkin' about with Saïx. So, I'm here to offer you a deal."

He thumbed over his shoulder at the mess he had left, his visible, yellow eye not once breaking contact with Axel's own green ones. Then, with a smile, he offered his deal.

"You keep your mouth shut, and I'll do the same."

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : This sentence was in reference to what Sora said in Dream Drop Distance about the heart. He claimed that someone can't cry without having a heart.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : _Necrotizing fasciitis_ is a bacterial illness that causes rapid decay of soft tissue within the body. _If you are squeamish, I suggest you don't look up images of this disease._

 _Author's Note (3)_ : This chapter is very dark- darker than what you would expect in a typical Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. I understand that death is sugar-coated within the game series, but I didn't want to do that within this fanfiction. If you noticed, I did not prolong the deaths of Zexion and ( _ **Name**_ ). They died instantly, not being able to speak a word or even think a final thought. Again, I don't care for tropes that allow people on the brink of death to talk for ten minutes when they should have been dead within seconds to a minute.

 _Author's Note (4)_ : This chapter was very hard to write. The pacing was constantly bugging me, and it just took forever to finally be happy with it. I apologize if it seems rushed or anything.


	12. Consequences

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

=13=

"Get a load of this, Xemnas. " _This is not because you are forcing yourself to do so in a feeble attempt to fill some nonexistent void of a missing heart. Your heart was never missing to begin with- it was simply lying dormant within you_." Boy, the kid really did figure everything out, didn't she?"

The one-eyed man continued to waltz around The Round Room, flailing his arms about in a spectacular show of enthusiasm as he continued to read from the first note that he had found upon rummaging through the laboratory within Castle Oblivion. However, he did happen to conveniently leave out the portion that had been written about Axel, and Vexen's cause of death- he had made the man a deal after all, and he wasn't going to go back upon his word so easily. The words that left Xigbar's lips forced a heavy sigh from the silver-haired leader, who was currently disappointed with how horribly things had turned out. However, he was more concerned with the notes that Xigbar currently had within his possession, and how their biggest secret had only been moments away from being revealed to the rest of the unsuspecting members.

"I won't lie, I really did have high hopes for the kid. And losin' Zexion was a damn shame, too. I can only begin to wonder what happened to them there… especially with all the blood an' stuff that I found."

"Whatever happened there is of no importance to us now. What matters now is that we prepare for Sora's awakening- after all, we still have one Key Bearer amongst us. And, now that we are in need of it, I believe that we should fall back onto our failsafe."

A thoughtful hum passed Xigbar's lips, and he took one last glance over the note that he held within his hand. He then turned his attention back to his leader, still sitting high and mighty upon his throne. He extended his arm, showing the letter in his direction as if asking what he wished to be done with it.

"Destroy them. No one else is to ever learn of the secrets those two unfortunately discovered. When you are done with that, destroy all files of her- I want no trace left behind. As of now, she never existed."

Xigbar shrugged, immediately tearing the note into small pieces before shoving them into his pocket. He then took out the other ones he found, performing the same ritual upon them before placing what remained into his pocket once more. He would burn them later, just to be safe.

"I take it you want me to tell the others that she should just be forgotten then, eh? I doubt they're going to take that as it is. She was a member, just like the rest of us."

"She was nothing more than an abomination. Her power should never have been bestowed upon a Nobody… but, should they continue to wonder why she is to be forgotten, simply tell them that she betrayed the Organization's best interests, and as such, met an unfortunate end."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it- I'll just lie and whatever to make them think she wasn't thinkin' in our best interest. Besides, if they hear it's an order from you, they'll listen."

Before Xemnas could get any further words out, Xigbar departed from The Round Room. As much as he hated to admit it, talking about her made him feel rather screwed up inside- after all, he was the one who killed her.

=13=

As the remaining members of the Organization came to find out about who they now referred to as "her," rumors began to circulate through the castle. Whispers were all that could be said between members, as talking about her or even referring to her in any way had since been forbidden. Those in Castle Oblivion all met unfortunate ends, but her death alone wasn't what started all the rumors- it was the fact that only two days after being told about it, a new female member was brought into the Organization. And this one had the same ability that Roxas did.

To the other members, it felt as though Xemnas had immediately replaced her with someone that could be of more use to him- someone that had an ability that better suited his goals. Of course, none of them would ever argue or challenge the words of their leader, but that most certainly didn't mean that what he was doing was going without notice.

The slight tap of hard paper against glass could be heard throughout the otherwise silent room. The night was dark- darker than usual, since heavy clouds were currently covering the normally bright, heart-shaped moon. Another tap of paper against glass, and then another.

*"Nineteen out of twenty-one. I believe that crowns me the winner of this round, Demyx."

"Aw, man! C'mon, Luxord… you're takin' all my munny! I'm not gonna have anything left!"

"Well, that's what you get when you keep placing high bets, lad. Care to go another round?"

Demyx eagerly nodded his head- there was never any stopping him when it came to rather clumsy or stupid decisions. The idea that he could win back triple what he had wagered was all that was on his mind at the moment, and he anxiously watched as Luxord expertly shuffled the deck of cards before placing them facedown upon the end of the table. He then locked eyes with the younger man in front of him, giving him a small smile as he placed the equivalent of three-hundred and fifty thousand munny upon the opposite end of the table. Deymx eyed the large pile, then dug into his own pockets and placed only five thousand upon the table. Luxord gave a nod at this, and then folded his hands together upon his lap.

"First card."

Two cards leapt off the top of the deck, each one landing facedown upon either man's side. Deymx quickly looked at his number, mentally making a note of it before glancing over at Luxord to see him peering underneath his card. He then waved his hand in a gesture of grace, allowing Demyx to be the first one to either draw or stay.

"Gimme another one."

Another card leapt off the deck, landing upon Demyx's side of the table.

"So… what are your thoughts about what's been going on lately, lad?"

Demyx stopped looking at his card almost immediately, a frown crossing his lips for a moment before he leaned back against the couch and crossed one leg over the other as he attempted to get comfortable.

"I dunno… I get the new kid is important to the completion of Kingdom Hearts and whatever, but Xemnas is acting like he doesn't even care about the guys we lost at Castle Oblivion. I mean yeah, some of them were kinda pushy, but they were still a part of us, y'know? Not to mention he's trying to make us entirely forget ( _ **Name**_ )- I mean, her. That's just really weird to me."

Luxord gave a small nod of his head, saying the word "draw" quietly before another card landed on his end of the table. He gave the underside of it a quick glance, and then cleared his throat before beginning to reply to what the younger member had said to him.

"I happen to agree with you. The entire idea of simply forgetting someone who had been around since the very beginning ails me. I am not the type of man to simply eject someone from my mind- especially someone who was kind to me. Not to mention she played a damn good game of cards."

The two of them were silent for a while- Demyx drew two more cards, while Luxord only drew one more and then stayed. Demyx hummed to himself while he thought about whether he wanted another card or not, but in the end, he decided to stay and not draw anything else. Luxord closed his eyes, adding up each number that he had drawn in his head to get a grand total of twenty. Unless Demyx miraculously managed to obtain the equivalent of twenty-one, there was no way that he would lose this round. However, before the two of them were able to flip their cards and reveal their totals, their attention was drawn to the entrance into the meeting room. Roxas, who seemed to be half asleep, had wandered into the room and had his attention focused on Luxord.

"Ah, Roxas. Is something amiss, lad? You seem to be overtaken by sleep."

"I need to talk to you about something."

Roxas's answer took the Gambler a bit by surprise, but he sighed softly before rising to his feet. He looked over at the anxious Demyx, giving him a slight wave of his hand.

"Don't worry, I shall return soon enough. Give me a few moments."

With that, the older male walked over to the entrance, only to be led further out into the hallway by the younger boy. Once they were far enough away from the meeting room, Roxas sighed heavily and rubbed his eye with his palm.

"Do you really think it's okay for us to just forget about ( _ **Name**_ ) like this? She didn't seem like a bad person, right? I know Xigbar said that she had betrayed the Organization somehow, but… I just don't see that."

Although the sudden questioning about her was something that Luxord wasn't expecting, he assumed that a large part of it had to do with the boy being half asleep. If he was honest, accepting the fact that a large portion of their Organization had been killed off wasn't an easy feat- it certainly didn't help him sleep any better at night, either. And, seeing as how Roxas seemed to be rather close to Axel, there was the lingering feeling that the poor boy was becoming restless wondering what happened to him- what happened to all of them, in fact. Everything that happened at Castle Oblivion was a complete mystery to those still residing within the base, and that was something that a quite a few people didn't take kindly to.

"Allow me to tell you this, Roxas: sometimes people do things for a reason that remains unseen to those around them. Though you did not know her as long as some of us did, what truly matters is how _you_ remember her- not what another member expects you to believe from simple word of mouth. To me, she shall remain a wonderful opponent in the art of cards and gambling, alongside being a rather kind person- if you could call her kind. After all, we still lack hearts. This can also be said for anyone else who unfortunately met their end within those castle walls; your memories of the time you spent together is what defines everything about them. They might be gone, but they are most certainly not forgotten."

The Gambler placed a hand upon the blonde boy's shoulder, his head bobbing forward slightly as he gave a reassuring nod in Roxas's direction. He hoped that the boy understood what he was attempting to explain to him- after all, he was still rather young. He watched as Roxas responded with nothing more than a small nod and a quiet hum, then rubbed his eye once more before beginning to wander back towards his room. Watching this made a sigh pass Luxord's lips, and he shook his head slowly before turning around and beginning to walk back into the meeting room to finish his game with Demyx.

' _Perhaps I should learn to take my own advice. I have lost more hours of sleep than I'd like to admit since the day the unfortunate fate of our colleagues was revealed to us. No matter what Xemnas wishes us to do, we all know that they shall never be truly forgotten_.'

The Gambler forced whatever thoughts remained within his mind to the side as he took a seat upon the couch once again, much to the delight of the ever-eager Nocturne.

"Yes, yes… I know you are more than eager to reveal your cards to me, Demyx. Come- we shall compare our numbers."

With one quick motion of his hand, Luxord flipped over the three cards that were in his possession to reveal the numbers 11, 6, and 3. Demyx scrambled to turn over his cards, not even bothering to look at the numbers that resided on Luxord's side of the table- the numbers that he revealed were 7, 8, 4, and 2. The Gambler cocked an eyebrow as he did the math within his head, and then gave a rather pleased smile before leaning back against the head of the couch.

"Congratulations, Demyx. It would seem as though you finally managed to best me! You beat my hand by one, and landed a perfect twenty-one. The bet is all yours."

Demyx grinned as he wrapped his arms around the large sum of munny that he had just won, working to push the items off the table and into the pockets of his coat. Luxord shook his head as the sound of munny clattering to the floor filled his ears, and he couldn't help the chuckle that passed his lips as the younger male scrambled across the floor to collect everything that he had just dropped.

"You know, your worth is not judged based on the amount you hold in your pockets."

"I-I know that, Lux!"

The Gambler rolled his eyes, then rose to his feet and brushed himself off before drawing his deck of cards back into the sleeves of his coat. He then began to pace down the long hallway that connected to the meeting room, his electric-blue eyes gazing at the empty room that once housed ( _ **Name**_ ). Anything that she had kept within the room was now gone, and it was as if no one had ever lived there from the beginning- this made Luxord give a disappointed shake of his head before he continued off down the hallway, his mind focused on finally ending the day with what he hoped would be a good night's rest for once.

' _There was once a time when we worked together for completion of Kingdom Hearts. Now, it seems that all that is left is an Organization full of secrets- an Organization of disorganized people_.'

=13=

 _Author's Note (1)_ : Demyx and Luxord are playing a rendition of Blackjack, or Twenty-One; whichever you prefer. This version uses a stack of cards numbered 1 – 11, and each card can only be drawn once. Whoever has cards that add up closest to 21 wins- anything over 21 is an immediate loss.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : This chapter was mainly used to describe the outcome of Xemnas's choice to make the other members forget about ( _ **Name**_ ). It shows that Xemnas, even though he still believes he has full control over the other members, is slowly beginning to lose his overall grip on a vast majority of them. In his attempt to correct the mistake of allowing a gamble (labeled as such due to his indecision on whether or not she would be viable to the Organization in the long run) like ( _ **Name**_ ) into the Organization, he is forming a growing feeling of distrust and suspicion.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : As I stated before, I had to alter things within the timeline in order to make this story work better. One of those things was Xion- she did not come into the Organization until _after_ the events at Castle Oblivion within this story, whereas in the original timeline, she came in _before_ the events at Castle Oblivion. I couldn't just leave her out entirely- as much as I've seen people like to argue about whether she was important or not, she was important.


	13. Finale

* = Author's Note – please see bottom of chapter for explanation.

 _Note: (_ _ **Name**_ _) is now assuming your real name. You are no longer associated with your Nobody name._

=13=

"Ah, you're earlier than you usually are! How are you doing tonight, sweetheart?"

Dulling, cloudy eyes gazed out over the empty tables and chairs of the café, the only one catching her attention being the one that a lone usual was currently sitting at. The older woman smiled softly as she grabbed an already made cup of ( _ **favorite warm drink**_ ) from the countertop, carrying it across the cobblestone ground and setting it gently in front of the girl sitting within the old, wooden chair. Once she had set the cup down upon the table, she sighed softly as she slowly eased her way into the chair in front of the young woman, the same pleasant smile still plastered upon her lips.

"I'm doing alright tonight, *Ellie. Thank you for asking."

Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes looked down at the steaming mug of liquid, and you hummed softly as you gripped the handle between your fingers and brought the mug to your lips. The warmth you received was much welcomed, seeing as how it was yet another snowy evening within Traverse Town. Once you had gulped down a bit of the contents within the mug, you placed it back upon the table with a soft thud, your eyes falling upon the gently flickering candle on the center of the table. Ellie seemed to take notice of this, and she reached across the table to gently place her hand atop your own.

"You're drifting off again, my dear. You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"

You still stared endlessly at the flickering flame atop the candle, a small smile crossing your lips as you felt your heart flutter. The mere thought of him was something that made even the coldest of nights warm, but it always seemed to end colder than it started- it had been a long time since you had arrived in Traverse Town, and your memories had been incredibly foggy back then. However, as the days grew into months, and the months turned into a year, your memories slowly began to return to you. You recalled spending your days amongst black-coated people you called your friends, but you could never remember their names. You remembered vivid worlds, the people within them, and a ship that sailed across a never-ending sea of stars. Then, there were the visions of the man you had spent countless hours beside- a young man, silvery-blue hair dangling over his right eye. You remembered how he always made you feel as though nothing else in the world mattered. And his name was the only name that you could recall for the longest time: Zexion.

"Who is he, Ellie? I remember every one of their names now, but I just can't figure out who they were, or why they had such an impact on my life. These memories are almost as though I lived a separate life."

Ellie chuckled softly, her wrinkled fingers giving your hand a tender squeeze in an attempt to comfort you. She had heard all of these stories many times before- ever since she had found you a year ago, she had given you a home within her café whenever you needed it. After all, you had no idea where you were, no family, and no place to call your own. And, if Ellie was honest, she was more than happy to have someone like you around her. It brought light into her and her husband's life, and that was more than she could ever ask for.

"What are the two of you gossiping about over here, eh?"

Ellie laughed as her husband wandered over, taking a seat beside his wife. She gently nudged his shoulder with her hand, which made a smile cross his lips.

"Carl! We aren't gossiping!"

"I know what you girls do… sittin' over here and talking about boys…"

You laughed at the joking tone the older man was giving, then gave a soft sigh as you looked at the two of them. They were a picture-perfect couple; they had spent each and every year side by side, and there was never a moment that they didn't smile or laugh at one another. They were like your grandparents, and you absolutely adored the both of them more than anything. They had made your time within Traverse Town enjoyable, and Ellie and Carl were the only ones who knew about your memories of those mysterious figures dressed in black robes… and about Zexion. You lifted your mug to your lips once more, taking a few more gulps of the warm liquid before sighing in relief and leaning back against the head of the chair.

"Well, I was asking Ellie about who those people could have been. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to remember who they were aside from their names. Everything we did together is clear as day in my mind now, but… I just… can't remember anything else about them."

"Ah, don't worry, kid. As Ellie once told me, memories are the most important thing you can ever hope to have. If those memories are clear as day as you said, then that means they were important to you."

Carl gave you a soft smile, reaching over the table and giving the top of your head a tender pat. You laughed softly, then slowly brought yourself to your feet. This caught Ellie's attention, and she tilted her head a bit as she looked up at you.

"Leaving so soon, sweetheart?"

You gave a nod of your head, and then Carl furrowed his brows as he slowly brought himself to his feet. He managed to hobble in front of you, and then tapped his cane into the fresh snow upon the ground.

"Now, you listen here, young lady. It's colder than death out here. So, you're going to rest in our home for tonight. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

You couldn't help the smile that the elderly man's words brought to your lips. He was trying as hard as he could to put on a serious tone, but you knew that he only cared about your wellbeing. You sighed softly as you wrapped your arms around him, giving him a hug of thanks that brought a smile to his face. Ellie, who was now by your side with your mug in hand, placed her free hand upon your lower back and gently nudged you towards the entrance of the quaint, little house near the café.

=13=

"Aeleus, have you seen Ienzo anywhere? I just got back from patrolling the outside area."

Blue eyes glanced across the room in the direction of the male voice that called for his attention- once again, the red-head had ignored his words and patrolled the outside without his permission.

"He's in his usual spot, Lea. You of all people should know where he is, and more importantly, _why_ he's there. Also, before you go rushing off again, you directly disobeyed my words and went outside to patrol. I told you to leave such things to myself and Dilan."

"Yeah, yeah. We can deal with that later, Aeleus. Thanks for the information, though!"

Aeleus allowed a slightly-irritated sigh to pass through his lips as he watched the red-head hastily make his way down the dark hallway and round the corner out of his sight. He knew there was no sense in arguing with him- he was just like he used to be when he was a Nobody, but apparently he was even more reckless now that he was human once again. He gradually allowed the annoyance the other male had caused to drain from his system as he attempted to distract himself, his mind currently focused on cleaning up the various messes he had already found throughout the castle.

Lea, who was now focused on finding Ienzo, hurried through the winding hallways of the castle to make his way to Ansem's lab. Once he neared the entrance to the laboratory, he stopped outside the door and cleared his throat before entering without any prior warning. Thankfully, Ienzo was the only one within the lab at the time of his entry- quite frankly, Even was still rather upset with him over the events that took place in their alternate lifetimes, so he was rather glad that the older male wasn't there to give him yet another scolding on his, "barbaric" actions.

"Man oh man, Ienzo… do you ever stop working? It's been three weeks since we all woke up, and it seems like all you do is hole yourself up in here and read the same ol' things."

When the red-head received no response, he attempted to get the scientist's attention by clearing his throat yet again. He walked past the desk where the blue-haired male was scanning over a handful of documents, his emerald-colored eyes now roaming over Ansem's notes about the DTD- the Door to Darkness.

"You know that this isn't healthy, Ienzo. You should get out some more, y'know? I mean, like I said, you keep reading over the same-"

"I wish that you would silence yourself for once, Lea."

The irritated snap that Ienzo had given had taken Lea aback, and the red-head turned to see the scientist's fists gripping the now crinkled papers with a growing agitation. As much as his inner conscience screamed not to do what he was about to do, he simply couldn't stop himself from asking the one question that he knew would tweak a nerve.

"Is this about her?"

"Of course it's about her!"

The angered remark came with the papers that were once held in a vice grip now fluttering gently to the floor, and a loud slam of fists against wood as the younger male took his irritation out on the innocent desk in the center of the room. Lea noticed that, in a feeble attempt to calm himself, Ienzo was now rapidly tapping his forefinger against the wooden desk, his gaze not once wavering from the remaining notes that were strewn in front of him.

"I have continuously read every single note that Ansem left, I have thought about every possible solution to my problem, and yet I come up empty-handed each time. I have spent the last three weeks doing countless hours of research, often neglecting even the simplest of personal tasks to find a solution. My sleep has been minimal, as has my diet, so _forgive me if I'm irritable_."

Lea could almost feel the caustic tone in his voice eating away at his ears as he listened to the man across the room speak. He could sense the repressed anger that Ienzo had kept within himself this entire time finally seeping through his lips, and he knew that there was a lingering grudge that Ienzo refused to acknowledge hanging over the room- the scientist inwardly blamed Lea for losing the person he held closest to him, and Lea knew that all too well. It was the same anger that Even had been very openly expressing for the past three weeks. The red-head gave a sigh, his gloved fingers running through his spiked hair as he began to feel guilt wash over him once again.

"Look… I know that you want to find her, okay? But wasting away in here is not the right way to do it, y'know? You keep talking to yourself about Traverse Town, right? Is that where you think she might be?"

"Even if she was, we have absolutely no means of getting there. We have no way to traverse the Lanes Between. The only feasible way to get there would be-"

Ienzo suddenly stopped, his blue eyes seeming to stare off into nothingness as silence filled the room. His gaze then turned to Lea, which was something that made the red-head feel rather uncomfortable given the current situation. He watched as the scientist walked out from behind the desk, and Lea smiled nervously as the male stopped right in front of him.

"You're still wearing the coat. Give it to me, Lea."

It was only then that Lea fully understood what Ienzo intended to do once the coat was within his possession. He hastily shook his head, using his hand to push the other male away from him.

"Hell no. I'm not letting you wear this thing, Ienzo. You're planning on opening up one of those *portals, yeah? You are in no shape to go through one of those things right now- you'd get consumed by darkness again faster than you could even form a thought. This coat only protects you so much… and you're not in the right state of mind to even try it."

This response earned a cold glare from the scientist, something that Lea had never thought he would see from someone who was typically calm and collected like Ienzo was- not to mention how reserved and non-confrontational he naturally was. Lea sighed deeply, then shook his head and began to walk towards the entrance of the lab.

"Sorry, Ienzo, but I can't let you do that. I'm not about to let you endanger yourself like that. I'm sure that Dilan, Aeleus, and Even would all agree with me on this one. Now… get something to eat, and get some rest. You really need it."

As Lea reached the entrance to the lab, he couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the distraught scientist still standing on the opposite end of the room. There wasn't much to be said that hadn't already been addressed, but he knew that there was something that would keep gnawing at the back of his mind if something wasn't done about his past mistakes soon. Though he and his Nobody were two completely different beings, each with their own consciousness and mindset, the guilt of what his past self had done to the people around him still pricked him like a thorn embedded deep into his side. He looked over the younger male one last time, then continued out of the laboratory and into the dark halls of the castle.

=13=

You awoke within the night with a jolt, your hands scrambling to feel over the center of your chest. Your heart pounded within your ears, and you clutched the fabric of your shirt when you realized that everything was alright- there was no gaping hole through your chest, and there was no blood. The nightmare that you had awoken from was something that, unknowingly, was a blessing in disguise. You remembered everything now- the Organization, finding out that Nobodies could regain their hearts, and the man who ultimately forced you and Zexion to meet your ends.

"Well, well, well. Looks like someone finally remembered what they were supposed to have memorized."

You nearly shrieked at the sound of the male voice coming from the corner of your room, but you forced yourself to remain quiet as you grabbed the small lamp from the bedside table and held it out in front of you. You scooted back until you were pressed against the head of the bed, making yourself as small as possible as you stared wide-eyed in the direction that the voice came from. You could make out a dull silhouette of a figure leaning back against the wall, but your eyes just weren't adjusted enough to the darkness to see anything yet.

"W-who are you? What the hell are you doing in this house- no, no, what are you doing in my _room_?"

You heard a chuckle come the same corner of the room, and you watched as whoever had previously been leaning against the wall finally walked into the light coming in through your partially open window. The first thing that caught your eye was the crimson red hair sitting atop the man's head, and you instinctively felt your heart begin to race within your chest. You knew exactly who this was, even if he now lacked the two distinct tear-shaped markings that had previously been housed upon his cheeks.

"A-Axel..."

"Bingo. Your mind is still a steel trap as always, I see. However, I'd prefer to be called Lea from now on."

The longer you stared at the man standing alongside your bed, the faster your fear turned to rage. The only thing that seemed to be playing within your mind at the time was the memory of seeing Axel nearly cause the death of Zexion- and now that you remembered everything, you knew why your heart seemed to yearn for something that you could not find. Your hand let go of the lamp that was currently within it, dropping it to the bed, and then made direct contact with the crimson-haired man's left cheek. This seemed to take him by surprise, and he grimaced as he pressed his hand against his now warm, red skin.

"Damn… I guess I deserved that…"

"Deserved it?! You better not have forgotten what you did to the Organization! You killed Vexen, you nearly killed Zexion, and you betrayed everyone in Castle Oblivion!"

"I know, ( _ **Name**_ ). I've been lectured and scolded about it for the past three weeks. And those thoughts haven't left my mind since I woke up, y'know."

Your ( _ **color**_ ) eyes stared at him, your eyebrows still bent and furrowed as your heart beat rapidly within your chest. You could feel the pulses in your temples now, and your gaze continued to follow the man as he sat down upon the end of your bed. He didn't look at you, but rather allowed his emerald eyes to stare down at the wooden floor beneath his feet.

"I know that you and the others resent me for my past mistakes. Believe me- I've been beating myself up about it ever since I woke up, and that's the honest truth. I did some messed up stuff as a Nobody, and it's something that I don't like thinking about. But I'm really trying my best to right my wrongs, alright?"

As you heard the red-head speak, your expression softened slightly. It was still hard to believe anything that came out of his mouth, but for the moment, he sounded as though he was being genuine about his words. And, if you really thought about it, Lea wasn't the reason that you and Zexion were killed in your former lives- it was someone else entirely. It still bothered you that Lea played a huge part in the events that took place, alongside taking the life of Vexen, but you knew that dwelling on it now was something that shouldn't be done.

"I really hope that you're being sincere, Lea. Don't get me wrong, I'm still upset at you for what you did, but I'm not about to hold a grudge against you for the rest of my life. That isn't healthy, and quite frankly, it's more trouble than it's worth. But… I do have to ask… how did you get here? I've been here for a year, and I know for a fact I've never seen you around."

"The same way we always used to travel, ( _ **Name**_ ). Granted, it's much more dangerous now that we aren't Nobodies, but since I still had my Organization coat on, it protected me from a lot of the darkness that could corrupt you on your way through. At least… that's what Even and Ienzo have been saying about it ever since we woke up and they started going through Ansem's notes. All I cared about was whether or not I made it through and got here."

You felt your heart take a sudden leap in your chest upon hearing Lea speak about Even and Ienzo. Surely he couldn't be talking about…?

"W-wait, Lea. Hold on. Did you just say _Even and Ienzo_?"

"Yeah. That's… the whole reason I'm here, ( _ **Name**_ ). Even, Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo are all back at Radiant Garden, and-"

Lea stopped as he saw you quickly leap to your feet. He stared up at you in confusion, then cocked his eyebrow as he saw the beaming grin that had spread itself across your lips.

"Lea, I have to go talk to someone, okay? Please wait outside the house. I'll be out in a minute."

Although the red-head was rather confused at your sudden command, he shrugged his shoulders and slowly rose to his feet as you paced out of the room. He made his way out of the room, making his way down the set of stairs to the lower level of the home before stopping to take in the sights that were around him. The house was older, a lot of the décor consisting of paintings and pastel-colored items. Being rather curious, Lea poked his head into the living room of the house, seeing several framed photos sitting upon the table in-between two chairs. He walked over, picking one of them up to examine it: within the frame, a photo of an elderly woman, an elderly man, and sitting right in-between them was none other than you. This brought a small smile to Lea's face, and he gently set the frame down before picking up another one. This one was taken by someone outside the trio, and it showed the same trio outside in the winter making a small snowman upon the cobblestone streets.

Lea sighed quietly as he set the frame down, his emerald eyes gazing around the rest of the living room. It was obvious that these people cared about you, as there were many more picture frames scattered about the living area that resembled the ones he had already seen. He heard some muffled talking coming from the back of the house, presumably where you had gone to speak with the owners of the home, and he decided that it might be best to take his leave to the outside of the house. He turned on his heel, walking to the front door and turning the knob in order to get outside. He shuddered as the icy chill of winter hit him square in the face, but wandered out onto the lamplit streets nonetheless.

Whilst he waited, Lea watched as the small snowflakes drifted past his eyes and onto the icy cobblestone beneath his feet. He blinked as one happened to land right upon the end of his nose, and he quickly brushed it away with his hand- it was rather cold, after all. His attention was drawn away from the snow when he heard the front door of the older house open, and saw none other than the older couple from the photographs hobble their way out into the snow. You were helping them along, each of them whispering words of thanks as you did so. Upon stopping a few feet away from the crimson-haired man, he stooped down at his waist and gave a bow of respect.

"So… you must be the rascal that ( _ **Name**_ ) keeps thinkin' about, huh?"

"O-oh no, sir. You have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Lea- but, I am going to take her to see the person she has been thinking about."

Carl gave a soft scoff, his bushy eyebrow cocking as he stepped forward with the help of his cane. He stared up at the taller male, his face stern, yet soon softening as he continued to look over him.

"I can tell you're a good one. Now, you listen here. My Ellie and I love ( _ **Name**_ ) very much, and we don't want anything happening to her once she's gone. You tell that other boy that, as long as he promises to take care of her and keep her safe…"

Carl looked back at his wife, who was currently giving him a sad smile. He returned it, giving you a quick glance before allowing a soft sigh to pass his lips and letting his gaze fall back upon the red-haired male.

"…that he has our blessing. We may not be direct family to ( _ **Name**_ ), but she sure feels like it to us. And, from what she's told us about this boy, Ellie and I both feel like he really does care about her. We probably won't ever be able to meet him face to face, but I ask that you pass on the message that Ellie and I give him our blessing. It might not mean much to you, but it means a lot to us- ( _ **Name**_ ) is the only family we have."

"I will be sure to tell him, sir. You have my word."

You felt a gentle tug on your arm, and you glanced over to see Ellie, tears brimming up in the corners of her gentle eyes as she looked at you. She brought her wrinkled hand up, tenderly brushing aside some stray ( _ **color**_ ) hairs from your face before cupping your cheek in her hand.

"Carl and I always dreamed of adventure, sweetheart… and as it turned out, one of the biggest ones that we dreamed of we could never have. That is… until you showed up here a year ago. You've been like the child that we were never fortunate enough to have- but having you within our lives was far more of a blessing than we could ever hope for."

You could hear her voice crack slightly as she continued to speak, but you shook your head and wrapped your arms around her. If you were honest, Carl and Ellie were the only people you could really call your family now. You had no idea where your original parents were, or if they were still around, for that matter. In the year that you had been in Traverse Town, these two had been the only people that you had grown fond of- the only people that you really cared about. And it pained you that you had to say goodbye to them, but you knew that the two of them wouldn't be able to accompany you through the portal back to Radiant Garden.

"Now listen to me, sweetie. You go back there and you find this man, okay? I want you to experience the world with him, and I want you to grow old together just like Carl and I have."

You nodded your head, feeling Ellie tenderly caress your cheek with her thumb before finally moving away from you. You felt a calloused hand be placed upon your shoulder, and you looked down to see the soft expression upon Carl's face. Without saying anything more, he tenderly gave your shoulder a few pats before nudging you in the direction of Lea. You walked over beside him, then glanced over your shoulder to see the old couple giving you a small wave goodbye. You ran your hand along your eyes, quickly ridding them of the tears that had formed there, then allowed yourself to give a tiny wave goodbye in their direction.

"Here."

Your attention was turned to Lea, who was now holding out his Organization coat to you. You blinked, seeing that he was now clothed in nothing more than a simple white tee-shirt and baggy pants, complete with the black shoes upon his feet.

"Wait, Lea. Without the coat, you could be-"

"Don't worry about me, okay? I'm not gonna succumb to the darkness that easily… it's gonna have to put up a hell of a fight if it wants to drag me down again."

You sighed softly as you unzipped the coat, slipping your arms into the sleeves and then allowing it to simply hang- you didn't bother zipping it back up again, since you figured you wouldn't be wearing it all that long. You heard an elongated sigh pass Lea's lips, and he waved his hand in front of him to summon a corridor for the two of you to traverse through. It seemed to already be taking a toll on him, but he urged you to go through it by gently pushing you forward. He followed suit, and moments later you were engulfed in the darkness of the void you had entered.

=13=

"Ienzo."

The young scientist felt a large hand come to rest upon his shoulder, and he sighed deeply as he put down the papers he had currently been reading over for the umpteenth time. He felt as though there was no time for meaningless conversation- he had already taken Lea's advice and managed to eat a bit, and had also found time to rest a bit in-between his readings of Ansem's notes. However, he felt as though he was finally getting close to a solution to his problem, and that only encouraged him to continue his work.

"Yes? Can't you see that I'm rather busy at the moment?"

"Easy- I just wanted to ask if you happened to know where Lea ran off to. I haven't seen him since he asked me where you were. Dilan and I have already checked the castle grounds, and we cannot find him anywhere."

Ienzo gave a shake of his head, his gaze dropping back down to the papers that were strewn across the desk in front of him. Even if Aeleus was his friend, there was something that was much more important to him right now- he made a mental note to apologize to him later. It was only then that the sound of footsteps fluttered into his ears, but he disregarded it as something unimportant. The footsteps then stopped, and the grip on his shoulder tightened slightly.

"Lea, there you are. What on earth are you doing in that attire? Where is your coat?"

Aeleus's words caught Ienzo's attention slightly, but did not draw his attention away from the notes that were still within his sight. There had to be something that he was missing, and he was hellbent on figuring out what it was.

"Ah, that ol' thing? Don't worry, I still have it. But uh… I had to use it to run a quick errand. Ienzo, maybe you could spare two seconds to look on over here for me?"

Aeleus watched as Lea brought something out from behind him, and his eyes widened when he realized just what it was. Once again, his grip tightened on Ienzo's shoulder, and he attempted to draw him out of his trance from the papers in front of him. The scientist tossed the papers aside with a slight agitation, and began to rub his temples in with his thumb and forefinger.

"What? What in the name of all that is light could be so important that you-"

Ienzo's visible eye widened and he felt his heart lurch within the confines of his chest- had it not been for his free hand that was currently holding on to the side of the table, he most certainly would have ended up on the floor in one way or another. There, standing beside Lea, was the one thing that he had been hellbent on finding ever since he woke up here in Radiant Garden: you.

"I-Impossible… this is some form of trickery… a cruel and heartless joke…"

You couldn't help the smile that formed on your lips as you wandered across the lab, your hands coming to rest upon Ienzo's cheeks. This made him shudder a bit, but it felt as though he was beginning to melt into your very palms- there was nothing more that could be said from him. You were here, and you were real. You suddenly felt his arms wrap around you in a tight embrace, his head burying into the crook of your neck. The made you laugh a bit, but you eagerly returned the embrace- it had been so long since you had seen him, but you still felt the same way towards him that you had in your previous life. And, judging by how he was acting right now, the feelings were more than mutual.

"Ienzo! Ienzo! Have you found the data that I asked fo-"

The all-too-recognizable voice that had come from the connecting hallway suddenly stopped, and you turned your head to see the older man's jaw nearly drop to the floor. He seemed to be trying to find his words, but it was simply an impossible feat for him at the moment. Instead, he decided to make his way into the center of the room and give your side a gentle prod with his forefinger- apparently everyone thought that you being here was nothing more than a cruel joke. Finally, the blonde scientist managed to find his words.

"( _ **Name**_ ). I… I simply cannot believe that you're here. How on earth did you manage to find your way to the Gardens?"

You gave a small smile, and at this point, you had the attention of Even, Ienzo, and even Aeleus. They were all wondering the same thing, especially since traveling here should have been near impossible now that they were no longer Nobodies.

"Well… Lea brought me here. He used the Corridors, even though he knew that it was more than dangerous. He… even led me back here without his coat on. He let me use it so that I was sure to get through safely, even though that could have cost him everything."

This information seemed to come as a major surprise, and all attention was suddenly turned to the red-head leaning against the wall on the opposite end of the laboratory. He smiled sheepishly, his hand running through his spiked hair in slight embarrassment.

"I knew that you all probably missed her. Hell, Ienzo was literally wasting away trying to find her, so I thought that I would go ahead and find her for you. It… it's my first step in trying to amend my wrongs. Oh yeah, Ienzo- the people that ( _ **Name**_ ) was living with when I found her asked me to give you a message. They told me to tell you that you have their blessing."

These words brought a dust of pink to the scientist's cheeks, and he cleared his throat before glancing away in a feeble attempt to hide his rather obvious embarrassment. You gave a quiet laugh at this, and then felt a hand drop down upon your shoulder. You turned your head, seeing none other than the blonde scientist now gazing down at you. You watched as he gave a sigh, his eyes closing slowly before he turned his attention to Lea.

"Well… I suppose this has begun to mend your mistakes, Lea. What you did was reckless, but still courageous nonetheless. Traversing the corridor without a coat is something that few people can withstand, but somehow you did it. I would, however, like to check up on you. I don't need you collapsing or passing out. So, come along."

Lea followed Even's orders with no hesitation. At least he wasn't upset at him like he had been the past three weeks, and that was proof that what he had done was already beginning to make proper mends. After the two had left, Aeleus soon followed, believing that both you and Ienzo needed some time alone now that the two of you were finally reunited. Soon, the room was vacant of all but you and the person you cared about most.

"I still find it difficult to believe that you're really here, ( _ **Name**_ ). I've spent so many hours trying to find a way to reach you. I planned on doing exactly what Lea did, but I'm thankful he stopped me. I truly was in no state of mind to go through the corridors."

You sighed softly, your fingers tenderly running through the long strands of blue hair that dangled over Ienzo's right eye. You knew that there was so much that he wished to know, and that you yourself wished to know, but right now you simply wished to enjoy his company. Even if that meant sitting in silence, you just wished to be within his presence.

=13=

Since the night was still young, Ienzo had decided to take you outside of the castle and to a place with a much better view. Granted, you couldn't go very far since the risk of running into Heartless was far too great, but that wasn't something that mattered much to you right now. He took you just outside the castle to the postern, where the two of you sat on the railing to look out at the stars. It was still freezing outside, since apparently the seasons of Radiant Garden and Traverse Town happened to be the same at the moment, but Ienzo remedied this by gently draping his lab coat over your shoulders.

"So… who were these people that Lea mentioned earlier, hm? The ones who gave me their blessing?"

"O-oh! Well, believe it or not, I was in Traverse Town for over a year. When I first arrived there, I had no idea where I was, and my memory was shot. So… I found my way into a café there, and that's when I met Carl and Ellie. They were the most adorable elderly couple I have ever seen in my life, and honestly… they were like my parents in a way. I don't remember anything about my real parents, so they were the closest thing I could get. I spent nearly all of my time with them, and I told them all about the memories that I had of the Organization, and about you. You were… the only person who I remembered right from the very beginning."

After listening to your long explanation, Ienzo sighed softly and placed his hand gently over your own. Your skin was cold because of the air, but it felt nice to have some heat between the two of you.

"You were there for over a year? Myself and the others only awoke three weeks ago. I truly had no idea you were stranded there for such a long period of time, ( _ **Name**_ ). But, I'm truly glad that you found people like them whilst you were there."

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, and then it was broke by the sound of Ienzo clearing his throat.

"( _ **Name**_ )… I'd like to impose a question unto you."

You blinked, turning your head so that you could look up at him. Even in the darkness, you could make out the slight tint of pink that had once again returned to his cheeks. But, then again, it could have just been a side effect of the cold. You were rather unsure. Once Ienzo knew that he had your attention, he gulped and gathered the courage to speak his next words.

"I know that I am… inexperienced in many fields of intimacy. And I know that I have much to learn about love, but I feel as though I could spend the rest of eternity by your side. I wish to experience everything with you, ( _ **Name**_ ). I wish to learn about love and everything that comes with it by your side, and your side alone. Whatever comes of our future is unknown, but that is what makes it so exciting."

Ienzo's words brought both a blush to your cheeks and a smile to your lips. He was so adorably innocent that it was rather hard not to say anything about it. But, that was certainly an offer that you couldn't refuse. After everything that you two had been together within the Organization, there was no reason why you would ever want to reject such an offer from the man. With a nod of your head, you leaned up and tenderly pressed your lips against his own, which sent a warm feeling all throughout your body. Upon moving away from him, you scooted a bit closer to him, gently resting your head upon his arm as you gazed out to look upon the stars in the night sky.

You heard what sounded like a piece of paper drop to the ground, and you blinked as you began to look around. Ienzo took notice of this, and then noticed a small, folded piece of paper resting within the small blanket of snow that covered the ground. He reached down and picked it up, holding it out to you for you to take.

"Where did this come from?"

You mumbled these words to yourself softly as you took the piece of paper from his fingers, your own digits working as best they could within the cold to unfold the paper. However, once you finally managed to complete this task, you immediately felt tears well up in your eyes. Within your hands was a small photo, one of a smiling Carl and Ellie. You couldn't help but smile, your free hand being drawn up over your mouth for a moment before rubbing away the stray tears that were running along your chilled skin.

"L-look, Ienzo… this is who I was talking about. Ellie must have put this in my pocket before I left…"

You leaned over, showing the blue-haired man the photo you held within your fingers. He looked over it for a moment, and then pressed his finger lightly against the bottom right corner of the paper. With a small smile upon his lips, he began to read the cursive writing that had been lovingly scrawled upon the corner of the photograph.

" _Thanks for the adventure – now go have a new one_!"

~Fin~

 _Author's Note (1)_ : The elderly couple presented all throughout this chapter is none other than the adorable Ellie and Carl from the movie Up.

 _Author's Note (2)_ : Corridors of Darkness, often seen being used by the Nobodies of Organization XIII, are very dangerous to people using them. The coats worn by Organization XIII were to protect them from being corrupted by darkness as they passed through these corridors. Any normal person, such as Lea in this case, is at great risk of being corrupted by darkness by traversing through them without a coat to protect them from the darkness.

 _Author's Note (3)_ : I am a huge sucker for Up. It my all-time favorite Disney/Pixar movie aside from Treasure Planet, and I felt like I needed to include Ellie's signature line in here somewhere. Where better than the final line of the story?

 _Author's Note (4)_ : The Nobodies are now addressed by their former, human names. Aeleus is Lexaeus, Even is Vexen, Ienzo is Zexion, and Lea is Axel.

 _Author's Note (5)_ : To all of those who have supported this story and made it to the end, thank you. Truly- it means a great deal to me whenever people both read and enjoy my work, and it brings light into my life. I am so glad to be a part of the writing world, and the happiness my works bring people provide me with more joy than I can express. Again, thank you all so much for bearing with me on this adventure, and as Ellie says, " _now go have a new one_!"


End file.
